premier cruise lines disney

Disney Cruise Line History: How DCL Began and Where They're Going

Disney Cruise Line is a subsidiary of Walt Disney World, which was originally incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited and headquartered in Celebration, Florida.

Walt Disney World chartered Premier Cruise Line, a subsidiary of Premier Cruises, from 1985 to 1993, which it ran as "The Big Red Boat."

Disney cruise ships now bring the magic of Disney to the seas to delight both children and adults alike.

Disney Cruise Line Fleet: Current Disney Cruise Ships

The Disney Cruise Line fleet includes the following cruise ships: Disney Magic , Disney Wonder , Disney Dream , Disney Fantasy , Disney Wish and Disney Treasure (coming in 2024).

Disney Cruise Ships and Their Inspiration

The modern iteration of Disney Cruise Line (DCL) began with Disney Magic in 1998 and Disney Wonder in 1999. These two sister ships carry 1,754 passengers in 875 staterooms, Magic with art deco and Wonder with art nouveau themes. Both ships were custom-built by Fincantieri at a shipyard in Italy .

When Disney execs decided to enter the cruise business, they looked back to the 1920s for inspiration. The result: both Disney Magic and Disney Wonder resembling luxurious ocean liners of a bygone era that just happen to have all the modern bells and whistles.

Since the line's inception, Disney ships can be identified in port by their elongated dark blue hulls, matching red funnels and elaborate yellow insignia.

Disney Cruise Line: Cruise Ship Innovation

Chief among the innovations Disney introduced to the cruise industry are its cabins with one-and-a-half baths and a rotating dining room schedule in which passengers eat at three different restaurants, but with the same tablemates and wait staff.

Disney was also the first cruise line to launch the " soda card " concept, an idea that has been picked up by competitors. In response, the line went further, offering soda gratis in restaurants and at the self-service beverage stations.

Unique Experiences on Disney Cruises

While the Disney cruise line fleet isn’t as large as its competitors, they make up for it with its special Disney magic and features unique to Disney cruises.

On a Disney cruise, passengers can enjoy character experiences and spellbinding Broadway-style theater . Restaurants, bars and other spaces are immersive experiences from Disney. Sip on drinks at the Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge or shop at the Enchanted Castle Jewels.

Sailing on a Disney cruise is unique because they offer high-quality services alongside the enchanting Disney magic.

Disney Cruise Line Fleet Characteristics

Disney Cruise Line operated a two-ship fleet for nearly a decade then finally built two new vessels: Disney Dream (2011) and Disney Fantasy (2012). These two new additions to the fleet are significantly larger than Magic and Wonder -- two decks higher and at 128,690 tons (compared to Magic and Wonder's 83,000 tons).

Disney announced two new 135,000-ton ships will be built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, one launched in 2022 and another launching in 2024. Each ship will have 1,250 cabins. This signals a boost in Disney cruise ship size , and the new ships have more cabins than Disney Dream, Fantasy, Wonder and Magic.

With new Disney cruise ships come new experiences and innovations for cruisers. Disney Wish is one of the new Disney cruise ships that launched in February 2022. The ship features immersive Disney spaces such as Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, The Rose and Toy Story Splash Zone.

Children ages three to 12 can join the Oceaneer Club and the multiple immersive, hands-on experiences, including Fairytale Hall, Star Wars Cargo Bay and Marvel Super Hero Academy.

New Disney Cruise Ships: Looking to the Future

Disney Treasure is the newest Disney cruise ship and will make its grand debut in 2024. This newest Disney cruise ship is designed around adventure, and it draws its inspiration from Asia and Africa for most of its designs.

Another Wish-class ship is expected in 2025, but this particular newest Disney cruise ship is being kept under wraps. Announcements are expected in 2024.

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Home » Home » BREVARD HISTORY: From 1985 to 1992 Premier Cruise Line Hosted Disney-Themed Trips From Port Canaveral

BREVARD HISTORY: From 1985 to 1992 Premier Cruise Line Hosted Disney-Themed Trips From Port Canaveral

By Space Coast Daily  //  November 21, 2021

cruises marketed in connection with a multi-day vacation stay at Walt Disney World

ABOVE VIDEO: Before Disney launched its own fleet, Premier Cruise Line hosted Disney-themed trips to the Carribean from Port Canaveral.

BREVARD COUNTY • PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – From 1985 to 1992, Premier Cruise Line’s “Big Red Boat” partnered with Disney featuring its bright red-hulled cruise ship that operated out of Port Canaveral to provide Disney-costumed characters for the cruise line’s Bahamas cruises in connection with a multi-day vacation stay at Walt Disney World.

Prior to Disney’s entry into the cruise line industry, Premier Cruise lines hosted Disney-themed trips to the Caribbean from Port Canaveral.

Starting in 1985, the ships Majestic, Oceanic and Atlantic offered 3-day and 4-day vacations to the Bahamas.

The excursion package was marketed at Premier’s “Big Red Boat.”

Premier Cruise Line was formed in 1983 by two cruise veterans and later bought by Dial Corporation (of Dial soap fame), which then also owned the Greyhound Bus Company.

The company earned over $20 million annually on gross revenue of $100 million during the 1980s.

The successful niche that Premier served was the family cruise line, especially attractive to grandparents sailing with their children and grandchildren.

Premier ships included the Majestic (the former Sun Princess of Princess Cruise Lines), the former Home Lines flagship Oceanic, the Atlantic (another former Home Lines ship), and the Royale, a former Costa Cruises liner known then as the Frederico C.

The original four ships had the prefix “Star/Ship” before their names.

During Premier’s reorganization in the mid-1990s, all but the Oceanic (Big Red Boat I) were sold off. Premier then became an amalgamation of Dolphin and Seawind Cruises.

Later, the Rembrandt, formerly the Rotterdam of Holland America Lines, was added to the line.

– Wikipedia contributed to this report

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Premier Cruise Lines

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Premier Cruise Lines , a subsidiary of Premier Cruises, was a cruise line from 1983 to 2000 that was headquartered in Cape Canaveral, Florida . It was the official cruise line of Walt Disney World from 1985 to 1993 and used the trademark "The Big Red Boat" based on the color scheme of some of its ships. During this time, Premier provided seven-night land and sea vacations on the Big Red Boat and was licensed to provide Disney characters on its ships.

After Disney's partnership with Premier ended, Premier maintained its family-friendly image by affiliating itself with the Looney Tunes characters from Warner Bros. Meanwhile, Disney tried to affiliate with other cruise companies, such as the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and the Carnival Cruise Line, but nothing came of these deals. Thereafter, Disney entered the cruise industry on their own, resulting in the Disney Cruise Line in 1998 . Meanwhile, Cruise Holdings, Premier's owners, overextended by merging with other cruise companies. However, between that and the increased competition from the Disney Cruise Lines, it resulted Premier going bankrupt in 2000.

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Disney History: Precursor To The Disney Cruise Line

Thanks so much for this early look at Disney's Cruises. I never got a chance to go on the big red boat, but I'm glad to have DCL.

crazycatperson wrote on Tue, 01/19/2016 - 14:26:

Some friends of ours cruised on the "big red boat" many years ago. It sounds as if DCL is an improvement.

Laurel wrote on Tue, 01/26/2016 - 09:22:

Thank you for this! I remember being a kid on a cruise ship with Disney characters back in '89 and all I could remember about it was Big Red. I tried searching for it to take a skip down memory lane, but I couldn't find anything about it so I was beginning to think that I had somehow managed to make up the name. This makes so much more sense now...I loved it on that boat!

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The Big Red Boat

Way back in the mists of time, in the long lost days of yore, before there was a Disney Cruise Line, avid Disney fans sailed with a cast of Disney characters on The Big Red Boat!

Premier Cruise Lines, which operated the Big Red Boat, was formed in 1983 by two veterans in the cruise industry. These two men were mavericks who had a vision; they wanted to create a new niche market — Family Cruising. Until that time cruise ships had been opulent floating palaces catering to well-heeled older patrons who wanted a luxurious vacation experience. The two entrepreneurs behind Premier Cruise Lines thought that some of these patrons might like to bring children or grandchildren along with them and that was the niche market they were hoping to capture.

They raised more than a few eyebrows in the rather stodgy cruise industry when they bought the Oceanic and refurbished it in a “not-so-luxurious” fashion to accommodate the needs of cruising families.

At the same time the Walt Disney Corporation was looking for ways to add some variety to their theme park vacations. It wasn’t long before Premier and Disney signed an agreement and began jointly marketing Disney vacations with a “land and sea” option. When it was re-launched after refurbishment the Oceanic was christened by none other than Minnie Mouse!

In 1985 Disney characters began appearing on the Big Red Boat; special Disney themed ship-board activities were offered for children and on-board entertainment was family oriented. The ship had a staff of more than 30 youth counselors on-board and programs for the children were divided by age group. They even had a special menu for children and provided free onboard babysitting. This approach to family cruising was an instant success!

Disney fans just loved the idea of three or four days at sea followed by three or four days at the theme parks! By 1988 family cruising was so popular that two more ships, the Majestic and the Atlantic, joined the Premier Cruise Lines fleet. The hulls were painted bright red and all three were marketed as “The Big Red Boat”

The three and four day cruises sailed from Port Canaveral and offered several different itineraries. Ports of call included Freeport, Nassau and Salt Cay, a small island just a few miles from Nassau.

Carol and I didn’t sail with Disney until 2007, but a few people have shared their experiences on the Big Red Boat with us.

Karen O. from Illinois told me, “We took a cruise in March 1992. My husband Rudy, son Greg and I boarded the Majestic in Port Canaveral. We really enjoyed the package that included a three day cruise followed by four days at Walt Disney World. One of the highlights was anchoring off of Abaco Island in the Bahamas. It’s almost hard to say what was our favourite thing because everything was great. Of course we loved the food, the service, and the activities; but we especially loved the snorkeling. Our son Greg even got to swim with the dolphins. He was a year-round swim competitor, and at the time was eight years old. It was a very special trip and vacation for us.”

Rob R. from Virginia described his experience for me; “My wife Kathy and I honeymooned on the Big Red Boat in September 1993. We boarded about 2:00 p.m. and sailed away from Port Canaveral at about 5:30. There was a Bon Voyage party on the main pool deck; we were all given streamers and confetti to throw, there was a live band playing and Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto were interacting with guests as we left port. That was the last time I remember seeing the characters on board but I’m sure they were around for later functions. The movie theater was showing Disney movies.”

“Our ports of call were Nassau and Freeport. At Nassau we could go to the straw market, take an excursion to Atlantis to go to the casino, take an excursion to Salt Cay, a nearby private island to snorkel or rest on net hammocks. Salt Cay was used in the opening credit shots for Gilligan’s Island . . . that was neat. Kathy and I enjoyed the snorkeling and then walked around the straw market”

“In Freeport Kathy and I went parasailing. It was fantastic! Flying high above the crystal clear water was wonderful. From up that high, you could see the coral reef, some of the colourful fish and the ocean bottom. I wish I had taken a camera up with me to take pictures of how clear things were.”

Rob and Kathy must have sailed on one of the last of the Disney themed cruises since the deal between Premier and Disney ended in late 1993 and was not renewed. Disney reportedly had discussions with both Carnival and Royal Caribbean lines, hoping they could replace Premier, but neither seemed to be interested. On May 3, 1994 Disney announced that they would be starting their own cruise line.

Premier soon negotiated a deal with Warner Brothers and before long Bugs Bunny and many of the other Looney Tunes characters were interacting with vacationers on the Big Red Boats.

It was during the Looney Tunes era that AllEars.net Photo Blogger Scott Thomas and his family sailed. “We sailed just after Disney had announced they were building their own ships and pulled out of the Big Red Boat. All the Looney Tunes characters were on the ship. The weather during our cruise was terrible, so bad that we didn’t go on a single excursion. The kid’s programs were very strange; they allowed our daughters, aged 6 and 9 at the time, to leave unescorted and roam the ship looking for us. We didn’t like that at all; the girls found us each time but it certainly did not give us a good feeling!”

“The boat was old and small, everything seemed very cramped. The food and the service were okay. They only had one dining hall which I believe was the norm on ships back then, but nothing about the cruise was as well done as we have since experienced on Disney Cruise Line.”

Most of you know the rest of the story. In 1996 Disney purchased Gorda Cay and spent 25 million dollars transforming it into Castaway Cay. The Disney Magic began sailing July 30, 1998 and was joined by the Disney Wonder about a year later. The Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy followed in 2011 and 2012. Two new ships are now under construction and both should join the Disney fleet within 6 years.

As for Premier, they struggled after Disney pulled out. Their fleet was old and the smaller ships had a hard time meeting the needs of more demanding consumers. The company was bankrupt by September 2000 and almost all of their ships have since been sold for scrap.

It’s a sad ending for Premier Cruise Lines, a company that helped incubate the Disney Cruise Line. There is no doubt in my mind that those 8 years when Disney fans sailed on the Big Red Boat gave the Imagineers a wonderful model to use when they began to design the ships, the children’s programs, the ship-board entertainment and the shore excursions that we all enjoy today.

How about you? Do you have any fond memories of the Big Red Boat?

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Gary Cruise

Gary hails from Canada and he’s a lifelong Disney fan. In the 1950s he watched the original Mickey Mouse Club and The Wonderful World of Disney on a snowy old black-and-white television. Gary was mesmerized by the Disneyland that Walt introduced to the world during those Sunday night shows! In 1977 he took his young family to Walt Disney World for the first time and suddenly that Disney magic he experienced as a child was rekindled. Since then Gary and his wife Carol have enjoyed about 70 trips to Walt Disney World, 11 trips to Disneyland and 11 Disney Cruises.

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19 Replies to “The Big Red Boat”

My late husband and I started our honeymoon on the Big Red Boat! September 5, 1988. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment and loved to reminisce about it. Salt Cay was magical to me … and so romantic for young newlyweds! 🥰

My 1st Cruise. Feb of 1999. I was 18, but loved it. But Big Red, she showed me the good life. It was a dream to take my children on a cruise, after sailing on her. Finally got back on a ship in 2023 with my children, on the at the time largest cruise ship (Wonder of the Seas). The experience of a life time! Next cruise is this October.

I went on the big red boat back in 1991 with my family for three nights. I was seven. I don’t remember much but it was my first cruise and I know I had a lot of fun doing the kids activities with my sibs

Unfortunately, we never experienced “The Big Red Boat”. I had heard stories about the sea/land vacations so we made our own and did 4 Day Cruise on the magic and 5 days in Orlando. It was awesome! Our first Cruise was in 2007 on the Magic on which we joined the DVC and well worth it since we have sailed on all the Disney ships and are looking forward to our next one out of NYC on the Dream for the Halloween on the high seas and on the Wish for New Years. I would recommend DCL for anyone with kids or just plain old disney fans.

The military used to periodically “rent” the smaller Red Boat to use for training while underway for special Unit’s like Delta Force, SEALS, etc. These cruises usually lasted about 5 days and the exercises went on 24/7 for the duration. On these exercises everyone had their own private cabin, and the usual buffet were served around the clock. The bars, gift shops and casino areas were not manned or used.

It was my first and only cruise 🚢 (until the end of this month when I sail on my first DCL ship)! We sailed back in 1992, when I was a kid. It was such an awesome experience filled with Disney Magic. I look forward to comparing the two experiences. Everything I know of DCL seems to basically be the BRB experience but modernized and so I know my upcoming and future DCL cruises will bring back a lot of great nostalgic memories for me!

The Big Red Boat was our First Family Cruise and we have great memories.it was quite rustic to today’s standards but quaint. Salt cay was fantastic. So sad to hear that it went bankrupt

We took two BRB cruises in the summers of 1996 & 1997. They were our 2nd & 3rd cruises to date. Both were wonderful! Service was excellent, food great. Kids had a good time. Ship (Oceanic both times) was in great shape. On the 1996 cruise, had Jeff Dunham as a performer. Looney Tunes characters, just wonderful memories! Cruising was much different back then. Since, have been on another 22 cruises over the years. And although all our cruises have been great, I miss those early years of cruising. They just seemed, better some how. Thanks for the flashback.

Took 2 cruises on the Big red Boat with our 2 children. Had been on one cruise prior with another cruise line previously and the reception at port Canaveral was exceptional to that of what we experienced at Long Beach. Our daughter celebrated a very merry unbirthday party on her 5th birthday which was amazing. Just enough land and sea. Enjoyed them both thoroughly with very fond memories.

It was my 1st Cruise in my life… It was Great!!! Premier will always be The Official Cruise Line of Walt Disney World…

Loved it. Our first cruise without 4 kids! Excellent service.

I was Waiter in the shop in 1994,ist was a good time

1987 Big Red Boat with 4 daughters. Last cruise I’ve ever taken after we went through severe tropical system and half our family had severe seasickness. We’re confirmed landlubbers or “jetters” after that experience with failed motion sickness medication. The island was great – Thanksgiving holiday in the sand.

The Big Red Boat is one of my fondest memories of childhood. My parents and I must have sailed just after they lost the relationship with Disney, as I remember the cast of Looney Tunes around the ship. I was about 8 or 9 years old. I remember the food being great, and waking up at midnight for an ice sculpture show that I couldn’t get enough of! Our waiters were so friendly, and I still have pictures of them with my parents and I. So far it was my only trip to the Bahamas in my life, where I went snorkeling and got my hair braided. I, too, thought this was Castaway Cay – this was a neat historical article! I’ve never talked to anyone throughout the years who had ever been on the BRB. This was one of the last trips we took before my dad’s health grew worse, so I will always have nothing but love for this ship and the memories it had left all three of us with!

Same here! best family vacation we ever went on myself ,sister n my parents. Looking at these pictures of The Big Red Boat bring back the best memories!

How lovely to read your memories of the Big Red Boat.. i worked on the Oceanic for about 9 months and loved it !!

How can I find someone who I met on the big red boat back in 1993 on my senior class trip?

I was on the BRB in 1991. My husband and I did the land/sea trip. We have fond memories of breakfast with the characters, friendly staff, enjoying Salt Cay (I thought was the same island as Castaway Cay–thanks for the history lesson!). It wasn’t until 2010 that we took our next “Disney Cruise” on the Magic. Big difference! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

Your article brought back some memories. We were on the last cruise before the bankruptcy. The ship was having engine trouble. We got back to port so late we missed our flight. The ship was old and the staff seemed disorganized. There seemed to be short of sailors. The entertainment staff was operating the docking plank and had a difficult time getting it to come down correctly. My most vivid memory is the smell of the public spaces. It was a combination of old wet gym socks and a wet dog. We had to change cabins because the was a leek over the bed !!! The ship we on, sank during a storm, while it was being moved by the new owner.

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The Story of The Big Red Boat

November 6, 2019 by Jim Korkis

I think many Disney fans have heard about The Big Red Boat even if, like me, they never sailed on it. For a little over seven years, it featured Disney costumed characters and was promoted as a Disney family experience.

As I researched today's article, I was struck by how many things on those cruises were later incorporated into the Disney Cruise Line experience.

From 1985 to 1992, Disney partnered with Premier Cruise Line and its “Big Red Boat” (so-called because of the bright red color on its hull) that operated out of Cape Canaveral, Florida, to provide Disney costumed characters for the short cruises to the Bahamas in connection with a multi-day vacation stay at Walt Disney World.

When Michael Eisner came on board in 1984 as CEO, he saw that the cruise line industry was growing, especially in Florida where Walt Disney World was located.

However, the Disney Company was coming out of a period where its finances were at its lowest ebb, due to having had to pay out a huge sum to avoid a hostile takeover, as well as producing low-performing films. It could not afford the hundreds of millions of dollars it would take to build its own ship and get into the business.

Just as Eisner partnered with an outside company to build the Swan and Dolphin hotels on Disney property to better understand how it was done and what it would take so that he could then build his own, Eisner also decided to partner with a cruise line.

Disney partnered with Norwegian Caribbean Lines for a November 3-10, 1984 FantaSea Cruise out of Miami to St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands, Nassau and the Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.

Disney costumed characters, like Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Donald Duck and Goofy were on board to interact with passengers, even at breakfast dining. All of the S.S. Norway's regular entertainment and shows were replaced by Disney's entertainers in their own productions, including a live-action version of Pirates of the Caribbean, a Goofy-themed Olympics on deck, an Epcot International Night and a Fantasy in the Sky evening fireworks display.

During the cruise, Disney film classics were shown as well as a special hook-up with the new Disney Channel available on the on-board televisions in every cabin. Rates for the cruise ranged from $1,095 to $2,710 per person, double occupancy.

Also in 1984, Premier Cruise Line teamed with Eastern Airlines, “The Official Airline of Walt Disney World,” to provide airfare to Central Florida and to offer the “Premier Cruise and Disney Week” on the S.S. Royale out of Cape Canaveral.

The experiment was so much of a success that the following year Premier became the Official Cruise Line of Walt Disney World offering special vacation packages. Guests could choose three or four nights in a Walt Disney World resort paired with a three or four night cruise out of nearby Port Canaveral.

The package included round trip airfare; free seven-day rental car with unlimited mileage; admission to all the WDW theme parks; accommodations at a Walt Disney World resort or one of the nearby less expensive Good Neighbor resort hotels; and admission, with a free guided tour, of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Spaceport USA.

Print and television ads and even material supplied by the Walt Disney Travel Company prominently featured Disney costume characters on the ships with many images of them interacting at different times with the guests from dining to recreational activities. In actuality, the characters did not appear as often as guests expected. Think of them as a condiment that was sparingly added occasionally to the main entree.

S.S. Oceanic built in 1965 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Monfalcone Italy was part of the Home Lines cruise ships and originally meant for transatlantic cruises. At 39,241 gross registered tons, it could accommodate over 1,200 passengers and was 782 feet long with a beam of 97 feet.

However, transatlantic flights severely crippled the transatlantic cruise business at the time, so the ship instead sailed at 95 percent capacity doing seven-day cruises from New York to the Bahamas and extended Caribbean cruises in the winter.

In 1982, Oceanic lost her position as the flagship of the Home Lines when the line received the newer S.S. Atlantic and had an order for another ship that was slated to arrive in 1985 and take over Oceanic's itineraries. So, after 20 years of service, it was sold to Premier Cruise Line that had been formed in 1983 and wanted to establish itself as a short cruise experience for the entire family.

The ship underwent an extensive refit where much of the interior was transformed from ocean liner elegant to more of a mass market style. Premier's research showed that many of those who went on cruises out of Miami came from the Central Florida area, so leaving from Cape Canaveral would make more sense, as well as offer the opportunity to experience the many local Central Florida amusements.

By repainting the Oceanic's hull a bright red, it distinguished the ship as different and more fun especially for young families. It advertised itself as an “incredible floating family resort”. Premier marketed the ship as The Big Red Boat.

While other cruise lines allowed children on board, The Big Red Boat was the first to actively embrace them as part of the experience.

Bruce Nierenberg began his career with Norwegian Cruise Lines in 1973 but had bigger dreams. As he recalled in 2007:

“By 1983 the urge to start my own cruise line had a hold on me. My personal challenge was to figure out how to create a new line that could survive without having to compete with the others head to head. “The key was differentiation. For example, I opted for Port Canaveral as our home port. My colleagues thought I was crazy, but I saw the potential to reach a much larger drive-to audience than Miami could attract, and I liked being the only cruise line in town. We also had proximity to Orlando with Walt Disney World. When we purchased the Oceanic, she was christened by Minnie Mouse. It made the cover of the New York Times . “Premier Cruise Lines became the most successful tour operator in Florida, selling the most Disney tickets, using the most hotel rooms and renting the most cars. For a while, Premier was the leading three- and four-day cruise line. We were the first cruise line to commit to family cruising year-round, with a staff of 30+ youth counselors onboard and programs for kids divided by age groups. “We developed the first children's menus and provided free onboard babysitting. And the big draw: We had Disney characters in costume on board. We created experiences for the passengers, not just an onboard environment. With our beach parties and emphasis on onboard personalities, we provided a total immersion in the cruise experience that is missing from many cruise ships today. Kids were really welcome for the first time.”

The success of The Big Red Boat did indeed lead the major cruise lines to position ships to Port Canaveral. In the first year of its partnership with Disney, over 60,000 passengers embarked on the cruises and the partnership was also having a significant increase on Premier's non-Disney cruises as well.

After the contract with Disney was not renewed, Premier then licensed Warner Brothers cartoon characters, like Bugs Bunny and Pepe le Pew, for its ships to keep its family friendly image, but continued to offer Walt Disney World and cruise packages.

The Premier line introduced two new Big Red Boats (also older refitted ships) in 1998, but the company went bankrupt in September 2000. All the ships were sold to other companies with the Oceanic sailing until 2012 when it was scrapped. The two other Big Red Boats had been sold for scrap in 2005.

There is some speculation why the contract was not renewed. Some have suggested that Disney increased the fee of the licensing to the point that it was no longer financially viable for Premier and may have wanted to control other aspects.

Others suggest Disney was having concerns that the general public was seeing these ships as “Disney's ships” but other than the handful of character appearances, Disney was not involved in any part of the experience, including accommodations, food and entertainment, that might not match the expected Disney quality and attention to detail.

From January to November 1992, The Disney Company tried to partner unsuccessfully with both Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line for a more upscale package with greater Disney participation.

Eisner had now seen how it all operated and, with the Disney Company now on a strong financial foundation, it could keep all the money “in house” rather than sharing it with an outside partner, and be in complete control if it went into the cruise line business. After all, Eisner reasoned, Disney was already providing hotel accommodations, entertainment, food service, guest service and more. The only thing missing was the ship, so Disney announced the launching of the Disney Cruise Line.

Advertising during the Premier years declared:

“The Big Red Boat. She'll bring you closer and closer…to each other. The Official Cruise Line of Walt Disney World is America's premier family vacation experience. It's the Bahamas, the Sea, and Walt Disney World, in seven wonderful days that last a lifetime. If you miss being a family, don't miss The Big Red Boat. “Through the eyes of a child, The Big Red Boat is a fairy tale come to life – a shiny red boat of wondrous proportions and endless surprises.”

For adults, the ship featured cabarets, casinos (something that was originally considered for the Disney Cruise Line but vetoed by Eisner), nightclubs, theaters, informal piano bars and lounges, health clubs, swimming pools, whirlpools, exclusive boutiques, and duty-free shops among other things.

The Big Red Boat offered the SeaSport fitness program supervised by trained instructors. The gyms featured equipment from Nautilus, Universal and Lifecycle. Offered were aerobic classes, exercise sessions, open-air jogging track on deck, pools, massage rooms and more.

For kids, they had their own kids' recreation center, Teen Nite Club, state-of-the-art video arcade, supervised activities, special programs, their own pools, ice-cream parlors and “friends their own age to share in the excitement”.

There were four separate programs of kids' activities divided by age group so that younger children played with their peers and bigger kids were offered different agendas.

Each child received their own daily activities sheet for making individual choices, like making a visit to the Captain's bridge. The schedule lasted until 10 p.m. each day. A group babysitting was available for a nominal fee in the evenings for kids 2 years old and older.

• “First Mates” were children aged 2-4 years old and they had their own club, Pluto's Playhouse with a kiddie pool, slides and play equipment. Youth counselors read stories, led sing-a-longs and helped with “artistic expression” activities.
• “Kids Call” was for children 5-7 years old and some of the same First Mates activities overlapped, like a treasure hunt on the deserted island, as well as sharing Pluto's Playhouse. However, Kids Call had some of its own things to do like the Guppies program teaching about the wonders of the sea and the special dance party with the Disney characters, as well as toys and games.
• “Star Cruisers” were for children 8 – 12 years old. Their schedule included a shipboard Scavenger Quest and Shipmates Signature Search as well as the Nintendo Sports Challenge.
• “Teen Cruisers” were for children 13 and older. They had a roster of special daily activities as well as access to the Teen Nite Club and water sports, like windsurfing and the Splashdown snorkeling program on Salt Cay.

Premier was the first cruise line to create accommodations designed especially for families with four and five berth staterooms, so families could cruise together economically and offered a “Kids' Quarters” second stateroom just for the kids at far less than the regular rate. Premier even offered the first single-parent plan in the cruise travel industry.

There were two exclusive Bahamas itineraries: Nassau and uninhabited Salt Cay or Abacos Out Islands, with its glorious beaches and quaint fishing villages.

The ship anchored at Nassau for a day's adventure and then moved on, according to the travel brochure, to the powdery-white sands of the “uninhabited Salt Cay, which you may just recognize as the setting for Gilligan's Island and more recently, the Touchstone movie Splash . Rumor has it that Salt Cay once harbored a band of pirates!”

Passengers were given big beach towels and indulged in pedal boating, sun canoeing, shell hunting, tubing, basketball and beach volleyball games, swimming, relaxing in hammocks strung between palm trees, enjoying a calypso band and more on the five beaches that ringed the island. There was a traditional Bahamas barbecue with char-grilled chicken, burgers, tropical fruit and more.

One of the kids' activities was to locate under the direction of the counselors the missing cruise director who's been kidnapped by “angry” pirates.

The Abacos Out Islands cruise took guests to the Green Turtle Cay (once one of the largest settlements in the Bahamas) with the typical museum and shops; Man-O-War Cay to see local craftsmen build the Abaco Dinghy as they had for five generations; Great Guana Cay to greet the dolphins Bahama Mama and Princess along with the activities of sailing, windsurfing, swimming, pedal boating, snorkeling, tubing and more. This location had the Bahamas barbecue and live music.

The final stop was Treasure Cay for a round of golf or sets of tennis at a nominal additional fee. After dinner, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee appear to induct passengers into their pirate crew for a “Buccaneer Bash” that includes fire-eaters, limbo dancers and Junkanoo musicians. This is all followed by a special midnight buffet on the beach.

The Big Red Boat promoted that it offered “Cruisine”, the finest in cruise cuisine with all fruits, vegetables and produce market-fresh and all breads and pastries homemade daily. There were both elegant and casual dining options and all food was inclusive in the price for the cruise. Each night was a themed dinner: French Night, Italian Night, America the Beautiful Night and Caribbean Night.

Special low-fat, low-cholesterol entrees were available as was a special children's menu. Every night was a Midnight Buffet with delicacies from around the world. Besides the usual chocolate mints on the pillow each night, kids were given a bag of The Big Red Boat's exclusive “Chocolate Ship Cookies”.

Nighttime entertainment included shows by the Las Vegas Legends in Concert show, with performers imitating Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Tina Turner and more, as well as the standard comedians and magicians.

By 1991, the cruise line had won the Grand Prix Mondial du Voyage for five consecutive years with the World Travel Award Committee, naming it the Cruise Line of the Year for excellence in shipboard service and innovative family programs. The youth counselors earned the On Board Service Award for providing outstanding activities and services for every kid on board.

For a three day cruise, the Oceanic would depart every Friday from Port Canaveral at 4:30 p.m. and return to port Monday at 9 a.m. For a four day cruise, it departed Monday at 4:30 p.m. and returned Friday at 8 a.m. It was staffed by a crew of 530 and its cruise speed was roughly 27 knots.

According to cabin selection and season, there were nine pricing tiers per person based on double occupancy ranging from roughly $700-$1,400 for the seven days. Super Value off season was less, and Premier offered the three- and four-day cruises without adding the WDW part of the vacation package at less, as well as offering the option to add additional days to the hotel and theme parks.

The Big Red Boat included the upper Sun Deck (with jogging track), Pool Deck, Premier Deck (with Pluto's Playhouse and children recreation center), Lounge Deck (with the Lucky Star Casino with slot machines, the Broadway Showroom, the Starlight Cabaret, Milky Way Shops, Astro Meeting Room), Continental Deck (with Beauty Salon and Massage Room), Restaurant Deck (Seven Continents Restaurant, Ship's Infirmary), Atlantic Deck, and the Bahamas Deck (Hollywood Theater).

The travel brochure proclaimed:

“The Big Red Boat is America's premier family vacation but it's also one of America's best Honeymoon values, and a great place for singles to meet new friends. “A cruise aboard The Big Red Boat isn't for families only. Kids have their own activities and play centers so you have plenty of time to relax and enjoy. We also offer packages for a family reunion vacation.” “With The Big Red Boat, the way you spend your vacation is up to you!”

MousePlanet is your independent consumer guide to Disney travel and vacations, covering Disneyland, Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line. Look to MousePlanet for daily news, weekly theme park updates, and detailed travel and resort guides for your favorite Disney destinations. As with any endeavor of this size and complexity, we couldn't hope to succeed without the assistance of our readers. We encourage you to submit news, updates and feedback from your Disney travels.

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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

The history of disney's cruise line.

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Neutral, Unbiased Reviews and Information about Cruises and Cruise Lines

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Premier Cruise Line

Sadly, Premier Cruise Lines is no longer with us, but this popular cruise line had a good run that lasted nearly twenty years. Premier Cruise Line was founded in 1983. Conflicting reports state that the company was formed by two cruise veterans and later bought by Dial Corporation — who also owned the Greyhound Bus Company.

Premier Cruise Lines was named the “Official Cruise Line of Walt Disney World,” and it offered 3-day and 4-day Bahamas trips out of Port Canaveral, Florida. With the trademark “The Big Red Boat,” Premier Cruise Line became the most popular cruise line for families. During the late 1980s and 1990s, Premier Cruise Line was earning more than $20 million a year, on a gross revenue of $100 million. Led by former Royal Cruise Line President Jim Naik, the company remained successful throughout most of the early 1990s. It didn’t hurt that Premier Cruise Lines was practically backed by Universal Studios.

Premier Cruise Lines started with a 25-year old vessel that was redesigned and named StarShip Royale. Within two years, Premier Cruise Lines added another older ship – the 20-year-old StarShip Oceanic. After several years of service, the Starship Royals was sold and two much younger ships were brought in including the six-year-old StarShip Atlantic and the 16-year-old StarShip Majestic. The StarShip Royale was eventually reincarnated as the SeaBreeze.

During this time the cruise industry began to see changes and the competition for customers was pretty fierce among the cruise lines, especially those designed with families in mind. Disney had already started its own cruise line business, leaving Premier Cruise Lines out in the cold. Premier quickly affiliated itself with the Looney Tunes characters to keep up the family image. But, cruise Lines such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise lines, and Princess Cruises began building 100,000 gross ton ships and with lots of attractive extras such as mini-golf courses, 24-hour pizzerias, and even ice skating rinks! By this time Premier Cruise Lines was down to one ship, the StarShip Oceanic. The year was 1997.

Premier Cruise Lines attempted to reinvent itself by forming a new cruise company and taking a more dignified approach to cruising. The plan was to promote the classic cruise ship experience. The company, now named Cruise Holdings, bought the more “traditional” vessels of Premier Cruise Line, Dolphin Cruise Line, and Seawind Cruises.

The pluses and perks promoted by the new and improved premier included: budget prices, unique itineraries, comfortably sized ships, personalized service, and even free resort programs. By this time the competition was so intense, it was already too late for Cruise Holdings (or Premier). In September 2000 the former Premier Cruise Line ship SeaBreeze sank — under disputed circumstances. On September 14, 2000, Premier Cruises was forced to cease operations.

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Plastic Pirateships: Disney's Creepy Abandoned Treasure Island

Stranded on the north end of Great Guana, I see the side of Disney's abandoned Big Red Boat cruise-ship stop I was never meant to see.

The following travel notes are from a visit to the Disney Treasure Island property at Bakers Bay, Great Guana Cay, Bahamas after the resort was abandoned and the Disney-themed The Big Red Boat ceased its visits. Since I wrote this piece in 2003, versions of this story have been cited by various travel and Disney bloggers. The story below sets the facts straight by a travel writer who has visited this area before, during and after the Disney era.

• Treasure Island Before Disney The Big Red Boat Arrives Abandoned by Disney

What Happened to the Dolphins?

• Ransacked: The Fate of Treasure Island
• Notes on Disney's Treasure Island Notes on The Big Red Boat

Treasure Island Before Disney

When I was a child in the 1970s and 1980s, the north end of the island of Great Guana Cay was a quiet wilderness, surrounded by turquoise water. This was land set aside by the Queen of England for the benefit of the Bahamian people.

For the locals of Great Guana Cay, this crown land was far from the island's settlement, but locals would navigate rough, wet trails to hunt land crabs by night. Sailors would put up anchor in the pristine Bakers Bay. For many boaters sailing through the Caribbean Sea, the beauty of this pristine bay was a highlight.

I would visit this land with my family as a child, occasionally creeping into the dense, tangled woodland.

There was nowhere else in the Bahamas quite like this wilderness, and even as a child I sensed that it was special, not just for the Bahamas but for the whole world.

The Big Red Boat Arrives

By the end of the 1980s, things had changed on the north side of Great Guana Cay. While going through my SCUBA certification lessons, I would take the ferry from the Abaco mainland to Great Guana Cay, waiting at a dock for a smaller boat to cross to the Atlantic side of the island.

From the dock, you could see it coming. The Big Red Boat spat a cloud of smoke, and I could see people leaning over the guard rails. A hat flew into the water.

Cruise ships are awful polluters: In the deep sea, they shit the poisonous excrement of potato-chip-eaters and Mountain Dew drinkers, and dump their wastes into the water streams that follow the same route as the plankton, the jellyfish, and the birds on their way to the shallows of places like the barrier reef between the Atlantic and the Caribbean

Premier Cruiselines, under contract with Disney, originally quarantined this beautiful side of Guana Cay , and set loose a carnival of tractors to tear apart pines, replace them with expensive palm trees from the Middle East and the Pacific, and cut a road through the middle of the wilderness.

Barges came in and began one of the largest dredging projects in history; removing sand from the ocean floor and silting the tidal highways between the cays to make way for The Big Red Boat cruiseliner. That dredge is still clearly visible from satellite images of the area: a line of deep blue through the sandy shallows.

Water off the coast of Great Guana Cay where a channel for The Big Red Boat was dredged.

T he dredging failed, because tidal highways between the Atlantic and Caribbean kept filling up the dredged depths. This silt movement helped to damage, destroy, or just flat out bury most of the coral structures on the Abaco Sound side of the island.

Tracts of the barrier reef between the two oceans were also disturbed by the silt, which at the same time was being hit by a white band disease outbreak which had been affecting reefs in Florida, the Bahamas and other parts of the Caribbean, later putting Elkhorn and Staghorn corals on the U.S. Endangered List.

The Guana Cay reef, part of the Great Abaco Barrier Reef, is magnificent, and one of the last relatively untouched reef systems on the Caribbean.

But back then, marine and coral sciences were in their infancy, and nobody took notice what was happening underwater.

The dredging was happening on top of a trend at the time of 'bleach' fishing, where you dump bleach canisters into the reef system to instantly kill, and catch, tomorrow's market fish or lobster.

While Caterpillar machines and garbage trucks and men with blow-torches were turning a pine-forest into a Disney Treasure Island ', the shallow-water corals that wrapped around the Sea of Abaco side of the island were disappearing.

Employees were asked not to refer to the island by its native name, 'Guana Cay' , and to act the part of the pirate-ship laden paradise that had been built of plastic and spare parts from California and Mexico.

Disney's contracted cruiseline bought dolphins, brutalized them into submission, and built a small net enclosure for them that jutted into the silty shallows of the ocean.

Bottlenose dolphin rides was at the time a trending tourist attraction, and when The Big Red Boat came, there would be hundreds of impatient tourists ready to grasp on the dolphin backs.

The deepwater dredge project, designed to allow The Big Red Boat access to Treasure Island , is a broad scar, visible from space. The small island directly south of the dredge line is the spoils. It is now an island in its own right, and is visited by tourists looking for shells. The turquoise water surrounding this island helps explain how much this dredging project altered this coral reef critical area.

Abandoned by Disney

Some claimed the dolphins were well treated, but anybody who saw their plight after the Big Red Boat left knew that lines had been crossed and budgets cut.

Disney did leave. They gave up because the dredge just didn't cut it, the narrow deepwater channel through the channels remained too narrow, too shallow, for the safety of the massive Big Red Boat.

When they left, they left everything behind.

They left the thatched bar area, and the bathrooms, and the basketball court. They left the amphitheatre and dock. They left cans of oil, and metal garbage.

They also left the dolphins.

In my teens, I motored out to the north end of Great Guana Cay with my mom and a buddy who took SCUBA certification lessons with me years ago. We planned to do some snorkeling on the reef, but the motor gave out, and we had to drift to the beach on the quiet, remote Atlantic side of the island's north end.

The Abaco native who was hired to watch after the abandoned property shook his head when I asked about the dolphins. He squinted in the sun and told me not to look at them.

Soon, Disney leased a nearby island and scrapped paradise for a former cocaine-runner pit stop, and they renamed it Castaway Cay.

The dolphins were beaten by the sun, bruised, and finally quarantined to loneliness in tiny enclosures in the baking sun of shallow, dredge-silt water.

Some lived, and were eventually shipped off to Freeport or Nassau. But nobody noticed, because the plastic and spare parts of Treasure Island, abandoned, had already begun to break apart, and collapse as the native Caribbean pines and Australian casurianas overtook the Middle Eastern palms.

The Bahama Islands is associated with a kind of post-slave culture, which is true, in part. But the Bahamas is settled by blacks, and loyalists - those American Brits who sided with the Empire and then fled, and a fair number of Haitians, and other assorted Caribbean Latinos. The shame in all this is, of course, that there once existed another people. Enslaved, driven to extinction, the Lucayans were a brown race whose traditions and peculiarities are all but lost to history. At one time, they were Mongols, moving north through China, through Russia, and into Alaska. They settled in the Tundra and disbanded for New Mexico. They passed through the Isthmus, into South America, settled the Amazon Basin, and then rowed up the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts. They populated islands like Saint Lucia and Martinique until Carib Indians chased them north, to the much less hospitable Bahamas.

No other race, imagine an inception in the Rift Valley of Africa, to Mongolia, to Alaska, to the Amazon, to the Bahamas, in the history of humanity, had traveled so far.

This is the puzzle of the West Indies, because its culture is lost. What remains are people who never intended to be there. The blacks had been forced, or were freemen who pondered their political fate, the loyalists pushed out of America, the Haitians were escapees. The Lucayans themselves never wanted to be there. They were pushed into the northern Caribbean islands because of the ferocity of the Caribs, who wanted to eat them. The Spanish, upon asking them about scars on their bodies, received a reply that indicated they had been constantly attacked by the Caribs.

The Spanish, of course, decided to enslave the Lucayans and sell them. But this practice didn't last long. The Lucayans, so adverse to enslavement, just died, or committed suicide, or fell prey to European diseases. Always eating light; a mix of cassava and fish, the foodless holds of the ships to Florida were enough to kill them and their already empty stomachs. One Spaniard noted that you could find your way from the Bahamas to Florida by the multitude of jettisoned Lucayan bodies floating in the sea. It was said that Lucayans, chained by their neck in a long column, would be decapitated when they began to tire, leaving a lifeless head attached to a column of people already committed to their own deaths.

The extinction of the race was quick. There is no Lucayan blood in any living human. Just a small footnote in the sorry-excuse-for-a-conquistador Spanish massacre of the entire Caribbean, which was said to have eliminated between 500,000 to 13 million people.

This is an awful shame, considering the Bahamas is the center of the Earth.I have heard many places named the center of the Earth. New York, London, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo. But only the Bahamas is the actual geological center. This is precisely where Pangaea - the original sole super-continent, broke apart into the seven continents. The Bahamas is the unlikely beginning of land.

Tourists in Bahamian hotspots - you know, Nassau, Freeport - seem to come back with the same story; 'the service is horrible, Bahamians are assholes, everything was forced on us.' I cringe at this, since I spent two years of my life here, and consider Bahamians like anybody else, anywhere in the world.

Tourist centers, in the Bahamas, in Mexico, wherever, are all the same. Bad service, poor manners, all that, is hardly a reflection on the people. It is a reflection on the tourists themselves. Through their rudeness, their willingness to over-tip, or become enamored with something commercial and unrepresentative, bring a place starving for business to a worse fate - a scavenger's fate.

But tourism doesn't need to be a bad thing. That poor American - two weeks of vacation and no obligation to the in-laws in Delaware - needs a place to relax, to kick back. He's worked his whole year for something like Nassau or Freeport. A clean beach, somebody to bring his wife a drink.

Laughing Gulls in flight in the Abaco Islands.

T ravel writers like to distinguish themselves from tourists. They call themselves travelers, and insist they be classified in a higher light than Mr. Jones and his sun-hat. They balk at the meaninglessness of a tourist's relaxation. They laugh at the alcoholic concoctions that sell for ten dollars a piece. They insist that the traveler respects a culture, but that the tourist degrades it, makes it a pale and colorful imitation of their wealthier suburb.

But this is as nonsense as the tourist who brings down a Nassau or Freeport into a pale imitation of itself. Being a tourist does not make you wrong. It makes you in need of a bit of relaxation, end of story. There are rules which tourists should follow; among them respect, reservation, a good ear, a head enough to obey the ecological rules for a fragile place. These are the rules which preserve a place's cultural and ecological dignity - not the rules of Mr. Travel Writer, and his ego.

Jane and I are here for just that sort of thing. An empty place without other people, without anything much but ourselves. That is what makes the out-island Bahamas weird. In all of its brutal history, we can forget all that and enjoy a piney marsh of a place for what it is today - a blank slate with a lean-to infrastructure. There is nothing to do here; one over-priced restaurant, no gambling, no night-life, no gatherings, no parties. Just random people, local and not. But that brutal history - a history which Abaco fanatics easily forget - is essential to its future. Without precedent, how easy would it be to turn your head - like so many locals did when the dredging operation came to town.

Jane settles the wheel of the boat, throttle and trim, until the wake is cut tight, and the unreal aqua underneath a blur; the black spots - sea turtles, mackeral, barracuda, melt into the speed. We are cruising to Guana Cay, several miles from the Abaco mainland.

Threatened beauty in the Abaco Islands.

Now it's the year 2003, and Bakers Bay, once the dredging grounds of the Big Red Boat, looks somewhat like it once did. The Middle-Eastern palms are almost all gone. Those that remain are being choked by native plants and the ubiquituous casuarinas. The steel girders of Pirate Castle are leaning, as if about to fall over.

Around the north end of Guana, which faces its own barrier reef against the Atlantic, we motor hesitantly around the ravaged reef-heads and anchor in the sand. Anchoring means a mask, snorkel and thirty pounds of weight, which pulls you thirty feet down, to the sandy-edge of the reef-head. Jane is about to see the majesty of Guana Cay; the bounty of balloonfish and pipefish and parrotfish, corals, sea fans and rays. I am about to see the majesty of a reef a few years removed from a dredging operation gone bad.

Many of the corals are still dead - it will take a hundred more without Disney to get things back in line. But like proper justice, where the Big Red Boat failed, the reef has begun to flirt with its own resurrection. This is just a piece of the worldwide puzzle - a quarter of the world's reefs have already been destroyed by similar carelessness.

We had known each other our entire adult lives. We wrote letters - but friend's letters - just two lost people in different ends of America, with some sort of connection that never made sense. I first noticed her in German class twelve years ago. I was fascinated by her, and was surprised to find all those years later at a noisy dinner in Sacramento, and despite a dozen attempts from friends and mothers to get us on a date, that Jane was made for me. Or I was made for her.

Everybody has that one day in their life that symbolizes everything - your past and your future; your greatest accomplishment. For other people, it is not necessarily a day like this, in the drench-humid air of Abaco. That morning with the sun beating down, I asked Jane to spend the rest of her life with me.

Nobody knows exactly what happened to Disney's dolphins at Treasure Island, but the best information I have is that they were eventually shipped off to Freeport of Nassau, and were in such bad shape that they died shortly after arriving.

There is a story recounted in Steve Dodge's Cruising Guide to the Abacos. Locals on Great Guana Cay actually released the dolphins from their enclosure, apparently in the cover of darkness. The dolphins, already habituated to enclosures, were later found and recovered in nearby Marsh Harbour.

Ransacked: The Sad Fate of the Treasure Island Property

The notes above were originally written in 2003. However, the following year, a U.S. golf course developer purchased the land and developed the entire Bakers Bay property.

Disney and Premiere's role in Treasure Island were used by the developer to claim that they were cleaning up the mess made by the former tenants. For the next 10 years, I argued here at Notes from the Road and in other publications that the claims made by the developer were a case of greenwashing, and that their development would cause much worse environmental degradation than Disney's relatively small footprint.

You can read about more about the Bakers Bay issue at my Guana Cay blog . This case study helps explain and debunk the claims the developer made about Disney's role in the island's fate.

Today, the Treasure Island property, now known as Bakers Bay Golf & Ocean Club, has:

• Replaced countless acres of vital mangroves with a golf course and marina.
• Terraformed the entire property into a densely-packed megadevelopment for the rich and famous.
• Poured years of fertilizer and nutrients into the ocean, further degrading the stressed reef.

Addendum: Notes on Disney's Abandoned Treasure Island

You've probably heard people talk about conservation...the natural resources of our vast continent are not inexaustible. But if we will use our riches wisely, if we will protect our wildlife and protect our wildlife and preserve our lakes and streams, these things will last us for generations to come.

- Walt Disney

Abandoned bar space, once used for cruise ship tourists aboard The Big Red Boat. Photo courtesy Ron Marvel.

Premier Cruiselines became the official Disney cruise line between 1983 and 2000. The company was formed from Greyhound Bus Company, and concentrated primarily on cruises to the Bahamas.

In 1995, Disney severed the relationship with Premier, and so Premier formed a relationship with the Looney Tunes characters, but without Disney, they quickly began to suffer.

The famous 'Big Red Boat' or 'Disney's Big Red Boat', was operated by Premier until 1993.

Both versions of The Big Red Boat (I and II) have been sold for scrap and no longer exist.

Abandoned theatre space at Disney's Treasure Island, now Bakers Bay Golf & Ocean Club. Photo courtesy Ron Marvel.

Notes on The Big Red Boat and the Dredge Project

Premier collapsed in September 2000.

Premier and Disney had a relationship which brought both of them to Great Guana Cay. The relationship caused environmental damage, but the story has largely remained untold. Disney seems to believe they are not responsible for what happened during this time. This page attempts to recreate the entire history of what happened on Great Guana Cay during the Premier and Disney days, so that researchers interested in this subject have a starting point.

When Premier came to Great Guana Cay in 1989, it was the first project in Abaco that met genuine resistance. Dave Ralph writes for the Abaconian, "The first development which generated some resistance was the arrival of the Premier Cruise Line to Baker’s Bay on the north end of Guana Cay in 1989. "

He continues, "Preparations included the dredging of a channel and a turning basin for the cruise boat. The world’s second largest dredge arrived in 1988 and began work. A small group of dissidents attempted to stop the dredge but were frustrated in their small boats by its massiveness. The discharge pipe extended a half a mile out the back and was immune to their picket line. A cutting head on the front extended 30 feet into the water quietly cutting the rock below. Court action to stop an operation of this magnitude was unheard of...As forecast by those with a knowledge of the area, the operation closed when the lease expired, and the company reviewed the lost days when weather closed the Whale Cay Channel."

Explore more in the West Indies

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Through Colonial towns, mangrove forests and Caribbean jungle, I seek the Pedorrera.

Habana Vieja and the Little Farter

In pursuit of the multicolored Pedorrera, I begin my quest in the historic center of Havana, Cuba.

Bahamian Dry Forest Journal

Notes and sketches of the Bahamian coppice forests particular to the northern islands.

Wreckers, Pineapples and Pirates

Notes on the history of the lovely Bahamian island of Green Turtle Cay - pirates included.

Little Abaco to Sandy Point

Notes from my travels throughout the backroads of the Abaco Islands.

Great Guana Cay: Wings to the Storm

The Bakers Bay controversy unfolds on Guana Cay, as locals fight for their way of life.

Eyes of the West Indies

I meet with locals on Guana Cay, as they are about to embark on a battle against a developer.

The Botanical History of St. Lucia

St. Lucia's botanical history tells much about the history of the West Indies.

Hopetown, Elbow Cay and Island Settlement History

How did early settlers survive in the Caribbean? I pursue this question in Hopetown, Bahamas.

Cuba Sketch Journal

Sketches and illustrations, as well as notes on the U.S. conversation about Cuba, and its effect on Cuba and the Caribbean.

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on all your other card purchases. 3

Redeem Rewards Dollars toward Disney vacations and more. 3

Disney Parks & Resorts

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Movies

Disney Shopping

Airline Purchases

Enjoy cardmember perks.

Special Vacation Financing

Disney Parks Shopping & Dining

Disney Parks Photo Opportunities

Cardmember Limited-Time Offers

Enjoy the disney bundle.

Get started by selecting your favorite card design 13

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Darth Vader

Retro Walt Disney World

The Mandalorian

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Find out about the Disney ® Visa ® Card Learn more

Eligibility

Accounts subject to credit approval. Restrictions and limitations apply. Disney Visa Credit Cards are issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Offer subject to change.

1.   $300 Statement Credit

This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months. Offers may vary and may not be available through all application methods when applying for the Disney Visa Credit Cards. In some instances, an application may require additional time to process. To qualify and receive your $300 statement credit, you must make Purchases totaling $1000 or more during the first 3 months from account opening. (“Purchases” do not include balance transfers, cash advances, travelers checks, foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers or similar cash-like transactions, lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, race track wagers or similar betting transactions, any checks that access your account, interest, unauthorized or fraudulent charges, and fees of any kind, including an annual fee, if applicable.) To be eligible for this bonus offer, account must be open and not in default at the time of fulfillment. After qualifying, please allow up to 8 weeks for your credit to appear in your statement.

2.   Special Vacation Financing

Get special vacation financing on select Disney Resort packages, all Adventures by Disney ® packages, National Geographic Expeditions, all Aulani , A Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i vacation packages, and all Disney Cruise Line packages (collectively, Disney Vacation Packages). Disney Vacation Packages must be booked by you through the Walt Disney Travel Company , Disney Cruise Line or Adventures by Disney Travel Services, Inc., online at Disney sites or through other eligible travel agents or sites, and charged to your Disney Visa Credit Card prior to commencement of your vacation. Other restrictions and exclusions apply. Please refer to the Pricing & Terms Pricing & Terms for pricing details. You will receive complete terms and conditions for this offer once you become a cardmember.

3.   Earn Disney Rewards Dollars with the Disney Premier Visa Card

The terms and conditions that apply to Disney Rewards Dollars are available at DisneyRewards.com/Terms and will be provided to you with your Disney Premier Visa Card once you become a cardmember. Subject to credit approval: You will earn one percent (1%) in Disney Rewards Dollars for every dollar of Qualifying Purchases (as defined below) made. You will earn an additional one percent (1%) in Disney Rewards Dollars for every dollar of Qualifying Purchases made at (i) Disney branded point of sale locations (owned and operated by Disney Rewards, LLC or its affiliates) as well as a select number of other locations owned and operated by third parties where Disney Rewards Dollars may be redeemed and (ii) at any of the types of merchants in the following rewards categories: gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants (for a total of 2% on these Qualifying Purchases). You will earn an additional four percent (4%) in Disney Rewards Dollars for every dollar of Qualifying Purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com , Hulu.com , or ESPNPlus.com for (a) a Disney+, Hulu or ESPN+ monthly or annual subscription, or (b) The Disney Bundle subscription, or (c) additional Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+ purchases, including Premier Access on Disney+, add-ons on Hulu, and pay-per-view events on ESPN+ (for a total of 5% on these Qualifying Purchases). Your purchase of any of these subscriptions or additional Disney+, Hulu or ESPN+ purchases will not earn an additional 4% in Disney Rewards Dollars if your purchase is made through a third-party device or digital platform (unless such device or platform redirects to DisneyPlus.com , Hulu.com or ESPNPlus.com for purchase) or as a bundle with cable services or as another bundle. Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ gift card and subscription card purchases that are purchased directly from DisneyPlus.com , Hulu.com or ESPNPlus.com will earn an additional 4% in Disney Rewards Dollars, but such gift card and subscription card purchases that are purchased from a point of sale location other than DisneyPlus.com , Hulu.com or ESPNPlus.com will not earn an additional 4% in Disney Rewards Dollars. Merchants who accept Visa credit cards are assigned a merchant code, which is determined by the merchant or its processor in accordance with Visa procedures based on the primary types of products and services the merchant sells. Chase groups similar merchant codes into categories for purposes of making rewards offers to you. Please note: Chase makes every effort to include all relevant merchant codes in its listed rewards categories. However, even though a merchant or some of the items that it sells may appear to fit within a rewards category, the merchant may not have a merchant code in that category. When this occurs, purchases with that merchant and the purchases of Disney goods or services at locations that are not solely owned and operated by Disney will not qualify for the additional one percent (1%) or four percent (4%) in Disney Rewards Dollars, as applicable. Purchases submitted by you, your authorized users, or the merchant through third-party payment accounts, mobile or wireless card readers, online or mobile digital wallets, or similar technology will not qualify in a rewards category if the technology is not set up to process the purchase in that rewards category. For more information, see the FAQs at DisneyRewards.com/PremierEarnFAQ . (“Qualifying Purchases” means the amount of your retail purchases of goods and services minus returns or refunds that qualify for Disney Rewards Dollars in a billing cycle and do not include balance transfers, cash advances and other cash-like transactions, travelers checks, foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers, lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, race track wagers or similar betting transactions, any checks that access your Card Account, interest, unauthorized or fraudulent charges, or fees of any kind, including an annual fee, if applicable.)

4.   Redeem Disney Rewards Dollars with Pay Yourself Back ® for the Disney Premier Visa Card

Disney Rewards Dollars may be redeemed for a statement credit using Pay Yourself Back toward purchases made with your Disney Premier Visa Card at select U.S. Disney locations in Disney Parks and Resorts (for a list of Disney locations, visit DisneyRewards.com/Where-To-Redeem ), Disney store and outlet locations in the U.S., shopDisney.com , and at DisneyPlus.com , Hulu.com and ESPNPlus.com , and airline purchases, excluding purchases made with third-party providers and travel agencies, within 90 days from the purchase date. Disney Rewards Dollars cannot be redeemed for a statement credit using a Disney Rewards Redemption Card. Categories, eligible merchants, and purchase transaction eligibility may change from time to time without notice. Even though a merchant or some of the items that it sells may appear to fit within a rewards category, the merchant may not have a merchant code in that category. When this occurs, purchases with that merchant won’t qualify for rewards offers on purchases in that category. Each Disney Rewards Dollar you redeem for a statement credit toward qualifying purchases with Pay Yourself Back is worth $1.00 (one U.S. dollar), which means that 1.00 Disney Rewards Dollar equals $1.00 in redemption value. Redemptions require a minimum of .01 Rewards Dollar and a maximum of 12 purchases and/or transactions selected in a single order. Statement credits will post to the card account within 3 business days of a request to redeem and will appear on the monthly Chase credit card billing statement within 1-2 billing cycles. Statement credits will reduce your balance, but you are still required to make at least your minimum monthly payment. Disney and Chase reserve the right to determine which Disney Premier Visa Card purchases qualify for a statement credit. Rewards Dollars redeemed for statement credits cannot be returned or re-deposited. Pay Yourself Back may be discontinued at any time. Disney Rewards Dollars are subject to the Disney Rewards Dollars Terms and Conditions for Disney Visa Credit Cards available at DisneyRewards.com/Terms .

5.   Savings Onboard Disney Cruise Line

Offer and offer elements are subject to availability, capacity limitations, cruise cancellations, and additional restrictions, may change or be canceled without notice, and are not guaranteed. In order to receive special Disney Cruise Line perks, valid Disney Visa Card must be designated for all onboard purchases at time of purchase for sailings through 12/31/24. Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts including Cast Member, Castaway Club, and Disney Vacation Club ® offers or discounts, and is for personal use only. Ships’ Registry: The Bahamas. Chase is not responsible or liable for fulfillment of this offer.

6.   Castaway Cay Savings Onboard Disney Cruise Line

10% off a Castaway Cay Getaway Package . Offer and offer elements are subject to availability, capacity limitations, cruise cancellations, and additional restrictions, may change or be canceled without notice, and are not guaranteed. Not valid for any other Port Adventures (Excursions) or Castaway Cay activities and amenities. In order to receive special Disney Cruise Line perks, valid Disney Visa Card must be designated for all onboard purchases at time of purchase for sailings through 12/31/24. Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts including Cast Member, Castaway Club, and Disney Vacation Club ® offers or discounts, and is for personal use only. Ships’ Registry: The Bahamas. Chase is not responsible or liable for fulfillment of this offer.

7.   Disney Theme Park & Resort Perks

Offers and offer elements including, but not limited to, participating locations and eligible items, are subject to availability, capacity limitations, closures and additional restrictions and exclusions, may change or be canceled without notice, and are not guaranteed. Must use your valid Disney Visa Card and/or Disney Rewards Redemption Card as form(s) of payment at the time of purchase for full amount of purchase to receive special offers. Merchandise discount may not be available for certain items and at certain locations including Disneyland ® Resort and Walt Disney World ® Resort Operating Participant locations and any other locations or kiosks that are not owned or operated by the owners of the Disneyland ® Resort or Walt Disney World ® Resort. To receive a merchandise discount, you must mention the specific offer. For entry into the Disney or Star Wars Cardmember Photo Opportunities, you must present your valid Disney Visa Card. Not valid in combination with other offers, discounts, promotions or with any previous purchase. Minimum purchase and/or separate Theme Park admission and Theme Park reservation may be required. Offers are for personal use only and may not be transferred or resold. Chase is not responsible or liable for fulfillment of these Disney Theme Park and Resort perks.

8.   Merchandise Savings at Disney Theme Parks & Resorts

Offer and offer elements including, but not limited to, participating locations and eligible items, are subject to availability, capacity limitations, closures, and additional restrictions and exclusions, may change or be canceled without notice, and are not guaranteed. Must use your valid Disney Visa Card and/or Disney Rewards Redemption Card as form(s) of payment at the time of purchase for full amount of purchase and mention this offer. Discount is not valid on previous purchases or on purchases of the following: ticket media, Disney Gift Cards, Theme Park admission, arcades, tobacco, alcohol, outdoor vending (e.g., in-Park balloon vendors, glow vendors), Add-a-Dollar (Disney Conservation Fund), postage stamps, rentals (e.g., strollers, ECVs), personalization, Disney Genie+ service, Disney PhotoPass ® purchases (e.g., purchases through any application, website or onsite sales location), Disney PhotoPass+, Disney PhotoPass+ One Day and Disney PhotoPass+ One Week, Memory Maker and Memory Maker One Day, CSL Portrait Experience, Capture Your Moment and other photo sessions requiring reservations, select print packages, original or consignment art, select limited editions, select collectibles, select specialized toys, select specialty items (including, without limitation, one-of-a-kind art, Disney-branded original art, celebrity memorabilia, framed Disney Dollars, Artist Sketch Program, framed Disney Gift Cards, framed ticket media, Walt Disney Classics Collection, handmade products (physically touched by an artist/vendor) and artist-signed Vinylmation), purchase-with-purchase offers, select reusable shopping bags, newspapers/periodicals, books, sundries, pantry/prepared foods, kitchen products, digital/video/disposable cameras, consumer electronics (including, without limitation, DVDs, CDs, and software media), national branded fragrances, treatments and cosmetics, Lladró ® , Swarovski ® Crystal, Tiffany & Co. ® Jewelry, Bvlgari ® , handmade items, special orders, live auction artwork, select product launches, select premium branded items, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (at Walt Disney World ® Resort), Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers, and Droid Depot packages, phone, internet, email or mail order purchases, shipping or taxes. Discount is not available at the following locations at the Disneyland ® Resort: Games of Pixar Pier, Silhouette Studio, Portrait Artists, face painting locations, letter brush art locations, any other locations that are not owned or operated by the owners of the Disneyland ® Resort except for Arribas Brothers Crystal Shops (Crystal Arts and Cristal d’Orleans), or at any Downtown Disney ® District location other than California Sole, Curl Surf, World of Disney ® Store, Disney Home, WonderGround Gallery, Marceline’s Confectionery, Disney’s Pin Traders, The Disney Dress Shop, and Star Wars ™ Trading Post. Discount is not available at the following locations at Walt Disney World ® Resort: games, Cast Connection, Disney’s Character Premiere, Disney’s Character Warehouse or Walt Disney World ® Resort Operating Participant locations and any other locations or kiosks that are not owned or operated by the owners of the Walt Disney World ® Resort, except for ALEX AND ANI ® , Arribas Brothers locations (Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers, Crystal Arts stores and kiosks), Balocoloc Venetian Masks at La Gemma Elegante, Basin ® , Basin White ® , Chapel Hats, Columbia Sportswear Company, Crown & Crest, Good Fortune Gifts and House of Good Fortune, Joffrey’s coffee/tea kiosks and Tea Traders Café by Joffrey’s, Just Fun Socks, Levi’s ® , Luxury of Time, Melissa Clube, Sanuk, Shop for Ireland at Raglan Road™, Sperry, Stance, Sugarboo & Co., and Volcom. Not valid in combination with other offers, discounts or promotions. Separate Theme Park admission and Theme Park reservation may be required. Discount is for personal use only and may not be transferred or used to purchase merchandise with the intent to resell the merchandise.

9.   Dining Savings at Disney Parks & Resorts

Offer and offer elements including, but not limited to, participating locations and eligible food and beverages, are subject to availability, capacity limitations, closures, and additional restrictions and exclusions, may change or be canceled without notice, and are not guaranteed. Offer excludes alcoholic beverages, select new food and beverage offerings, merchandise, tobacco, room service, holiday buffets, tax and gratuity. Must use your valid Disney Visa Card and/or Disney Rewards Redemption Card at time of purchase for full amount of purchase. Discount valid at the following Walt Disney World ® Resort restaurant locations: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas: Boma – Flavors of Africa, Jiko – The Cooking Place (see restrictions), and Sanaa; Disney’s Beach Club Resort: Beaches and Cream, and Cape May Cafe; Disney’s BoardWalk Inn & Villas: Flying Fish (see restrictions); Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort: Sebastian’s Bistro; Disney’s Contemporary Resort: Steakhouse 71; Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort: Three Bridges Bar & Grill and Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood; Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground: Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue; Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: Citricos (see restrictions), Grand Floridian Cafe, and Narcoossee’s (see restrictions); Disney’s Old Key West Resort: Olivia’s Cafe; Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: Kona Cafe; Disney’s Port Orleans Resort: Boatwrights Dining Hall; Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa: The Turf Club Bar and Grill; Disney’s Wilderness Lodge: Whispering Canyon Cafe; Disney’s Yacht Club Resort: Ale & Compass Restaurant, and Yachtsman Steakhouse; Disney’s Animal Kingdom ® Theme Park: Tiffins; Disney’s Hollywood Studios ® : Mama Melrose, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, and The Hollywood Brown Derby (see restrictions); EPCOT ® : Biergarten Restaurant (see restrictions), Coral Reef Restaurant, Le Cellier Steakhouse, Rose & Crown Dining Room, and Spice Road Table; Magic Kingdom ® Park: Crystal Palace, Diamond Horseshoe, Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen, Liberty Tree Tavern, The Plaza Restaurant, and Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. For locations where it is noted to see restrictions, the discount does not apply to the following dates: 10/9/23, 10/31/23, 11/23/23, 12/24/23, 12/25/23, 12/31/23, 1/1/24, 2/14/24, 2/19/24, 3/31/24, 5/12/24, 5/27/24, 6/16/24, 7/4/24, and 9/2/24. Discount valid at the following Disneyland ® Resort restaurant locations, subject to location availability: Disneyland ® Park: Cafe Orleans, Carnation Café, The Golden Horseshoe, Harbour Galley, Plaza Inn, River Belle Terrace, Royal Street Veranda and Troubadour Tavern; Disney California Adventure ® Park: Carthay Circle Lounge – Alfresco Dining, Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill, Lucky Fortune Cookery, Paradise Garden Grill, Sonoma Terrace, Studio Catering Co., and Wine Country Trattoria; Disney ’s Grand Californian Hotel ® & Spa: GCH Craftsman Bar and Storytellers Café; Disneyland ® Hotel: Goofy’s Kitchen. Discount valid at the following Disney’s Vero Beach Resort restaurant location: Wind & Waves Grill. Subject to restaurant availability, operating hours and closures. Reservations may be required. Not valid in combination with other offers, discounts or promotions. Separate Theme Park admission and Theme Park reservation may be required. Discount is for personal use only and may not be transferred or resold.

10.   Cardmember Photo Opportunities

The Disneyland ® Resort Cardmember Photo Opportunities are offered daily during set hours–the Disney Cardmember Photo Opportunity is at Disney California Adventure ® Park and the Star Wars Cardmember Photo Opportunity is at Disneyland ® Park. The Walt Disney World ® Resort Cardmember Photo Opportunities are offered daily during set hours–the Disney Cardmember Photo Opportunity is at EPCOT ® and the Star Wars Cardmember Photo Opportunity is at Disney’s Hollywood Studios ® . Separate Theme Park admission and Theme Park reservation required for each Cardmember Photo Opportunity. Must present a valid Disney Visa Card for entry for up to 6 people per cardmember account (each cardmember account may be used for entry only one time per day). Operating times, days of the week, locations and appearance of Characters (digitally or physically, as applicable) may vary and are subject to restrictions and change or cancellation without notice. Offer includes complimentary downloads of your Disney PhotoPass ® photos taken at the Disney Visa Cardmember Photo Opportunity location that are associated to your Disney account. To access complimentary downloads of your Disney PhotoPass ® photos taken at the Disney Visa Cardmember Photo Opportunity location at the Disneyland ® Resort, go to the Disneyland app or Disneyland.com/PhotoPass or at the location at Walt Disney World ® Resort, go to the My Disney Experience app or DisneyWorld.com/PhotoPass , and then log-in using your existing account or create an account. MagicBands or other media scanned by the photographer at the time of capture must be linked to your My Disney Experience Profile at Walt Disney World ® Resort or linked to your Disneyland ® Resort account, or you may claim Disney PhotoPass ® cards provided to you by the photographer by entering the Disney PhotoPass ® ID number found on the back of your Disney PhotoPass ® card. One photo session per valid cardmember account per day. Offer not valid for photos taken at other Disney PhotoPass ® locations or attractions photos. Disney PhotoPass ® service is subject to the Disney PhotoPass ® Terms & Conditions and expiration policy at Disneyland.disney.go.com/PhotoPass-terms-conditions or DisneyWorld.disney.go.com/PhotoPass-terms-conditions , as applicable. Not responsible for missing, lost or damaged photos. Not valid in combination with other offers, discounts or promotions. Offer is for personal use only and may not be transferred or resold. Please visit DisneyRewards.com/ParkPerks for additional information.

11.   Merchandise Savings at Disney Store

10% Off Restrictions: Valid on select, in-stock merchandise purchased at Disney store and outlet locations in the U.S., and at shopDisney.com (online or via phone orders). Not valid on purchases made at Disney Parks and Resorts locations or on Disney store merchandise purchased from other retailers or using third party websites. Must use your valid Disney Visa Card and/or Disney Rewards Redemption Card as the form(s) of payment at the time of purchase for full amount of purchase and mention this offer in store or use promo code DRVCMEMBER online. Offer excludes sales tax, shipping & handling charges, gift wrap & gift box charges, personalization charges, Disney Theme Park Tickets, Disney Gift Cards, The Walt Disney Company Collectible Shareholder Certificate, subscription products, art & collectibles, books, electronic toys, limited edition, special edition & limited release merchandise, talking action figures, items related to a charitable promotion, and items from the following brands and collections: Afridrille Shoes, ALEX AND ANI ® , Barefoot Dreams, BaubleBar, Bulova, Citizen, COACH, CRISLU, Cubcoats, Disney Designer Jewelry Collection, Disney Fairy Tale Wedding Rings, Disney Parks Designer Collection, Disney Vacation Club ® , Disney+ Special Access items, Enesco, Garmin, Harveys, Jim Shore, kate spade, LEGO, Lilly Pulitzer, Loungefly, MagicBand, Make-A-Wish Collection, Marvel Legends Series, Master of Arts, Mickey Mouse: The Main Attraction Collection, Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction Collection, Milk Snob, select National Geographic merchandise, Native Shoes, Nike, Nixon, Olszewski, OtterBox Electronics, Pandora Jewelry, Petunia Pickle Bottom, Pura Vida, Rebecca Hook, RockLove, Royal Selangor, Sideshow Collectibles, select Star Wars : Galaxy’s Edge merchandise,  Star Wars : The Black Series, select Star Wars : The Mandalorian merchandise, Steiff, Stoney Clover Lane, Terez, Thomas Kinkade, Tommy Bahama, Tommy Hilfiger, Tron: Back to the Arcade Collection, Tron Thrill of the Race, Vans, Vera Bradley and Vinylmation. Additional exclusions may apply. Visit shopDisney.com/DRVCPerkDetails for the most current list of exclusions and any updates to these offer terms. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer or discount except available shipping offers. Offer will only be applied if a valid promotion code is entered at checkout. No adjustments to prior purchases. Valid packing slip or receipt required for returns or exchanges, which will be subject to discount taken at the time of purchase. Offer subject to restrictions and to change without notice. Promotion may not be redeemed for cash, sold, or altered. Internet distribution is strictly prohibited. Use of offer or Promotion Code DRVCMEMBER constitutes acceptance of these offer terms. Void where prohibited. Chase is not responsible or liable for fulfillment of this offer.

12.   Statement Credit for a Disney Bundle for Disney Premier Visa Card

Earn $14.99 per month for up to 3 consecutive months (up to $44.97 total) in statement credits on qualifying subscription payments of $14.99 or more per month when you make a qualifying purchase with your Disney Premier Visa Card at DisneyPlus.com , Hulu.com , or ESPNPlus.com (each, a “Service” and collectively, “Services”) by September 30, 2024. Qualifying purchases include (i) Disney Bundle subscriptions, and (ii) any other Services subscriptions or Services add-ons totaling payments of $14.99 or more (collectively, “Qualifying Purchases”). To receive the statement credits, you must use your Disney Premier Visa Card as the payment method on file for your Qualifying Purchases. Your Disney Bundle subscription will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Disney+ and ESPN+ Subscriber Agreement ( disneyplus.com/legal/subscriber-agreement ). To receive the statement credits, the payments must be made directly on DisneyPlus.com , Hulu.com or ESPNPlus.com . Purchases will not qualify for the statement credit if made through a third-party device or digital platform (unless such device or platform redirects to DisneyPlus.com , Hulu.com or ESPNPlus.com ), or as a bundle with cable services or as another bundle. If you purchase a monthly or annual subscription, unless you timely cancel, your subscription will automatically renew for another monthly or annual subscription period pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Disney+ and ESPN+ Subscriber Agreement ( disneyplus.com/legal/subscriber-agreement ). Statement credit(s) appear on your monthly credit card billing statement within 1–2 billing cycles. Not redeemable for cash or other goods or services. Offer is non-transferable and is subject to change.

13.   Card Designs

Card designs are subject to availability and may change without notice. The Contactless Symbol and Contactless Indicator are trademarks owned by and used with the permission of EMVCo, LLC. Deposit and credit card products provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC © Disney and its related entities.

What Happened to the Big Red Boat Cruise: A Closer Look at Its Disappearance

In the late 1990s, the Premier line caught the attention of cruise enthusiasts with the introduction of their two iconic Big Red Boats. These vibrant vessels quickly became a symbol of family-friendly cruising, offering a unique and memorable experience on the high seas. However, after a relatively short-lived reign, the Big Red Boat Cruise sadly faded into oblivion, leaving behind a trail of questions and nostalgic memories. This article aims to delve deeper into the disappearance of the Big Red Boat Cruise, unraveling the events that led to it’s demise. From the company's unexpected bankruptcy in September 2000 to the subsequent sale of it’s ships to other cruise lines, the journey of the Big Red Boat Cruise ended with the scrapping of it’s last remaining vessel, the Oceanic, in 2012. Join us on this closer look as we explore the ulti

Who Owned the Big Red Boat?

Roger B. Murphy and Bruce Nierenberg joined forces to create Premier Cruise Lines and brought the dream of sailing with beloved Disney characters to life. The Big Red Boat, a majestic vessel known for it’s vibrant red exterior, became the centerpiece of their venture. This floating paradise offered Disney-themed entertainment, enchanting activities, and impeccable service, captivating the hearts of Disney aficionados.

For years, the Big Red Boat sailed the high seas, transporting eager travelers and Disney enthusiasts to exotic destinations. Families flocked to experience the magic and wonder that only Disney could provide, dining with beloved characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and enjoying spectacular Broadway-style shows. It was a one-of-a-kind experience that left lasting memories for all who embarked on this grand adventure.

However, as time passed, the popularity of the Big Red Boat began to wane. With the launch of Disney Cruise Line in 1998, Disney fans now had a dedicated cruise line that offered a more immersive Disney experience. The competition was fierce, and Premier Cruise Lines struggled to keep up with the new kid on the block. Eventually, in 1997, Premier Cruise Lines ceased it’s operations, marking the end of an era and leaving behind a void in the hearts of those who cherished the Big Red Boat.

The disappearance of the Big Red Boat was a bittersweet moment for Disney enthusiasts. While the introduction of Disney Cruise Line brought a more comprehensive Disney experience to the seas, it also meant saying goodbye to the beloved floating wonderland that once was. The Big Red Boat may no longer sail the ocean waves, but it’s legacy lives on in the hearts and memories of those fortunate enough to have experienced it’s magic. It will forever be a symbol of a bygone era, a time when Disney fans set sail on a whimsical adventure aboard a vessel unlike any other.

The history of the iconic ‘Big Red Boat’ or ‘Disney’s Big Red Boat’ comes to an end with a bittersweet truth. Once operated by Premier, these magnificent vessels, known as Big Red Boat I and II, have sadly been dismantled and sold as scrap, leaving behind only memories of their former glory.

Does the Big Red Boat Still Exist?

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Big Red Boat Cruise has captivated many curious minds over the years. Once a beloved icon of maritime adventure, it’s vanishing act remains shrouded in intrigue. So, what really happened to the Big Red Boat? A closer look reveals a tragic fate for this once-grand vessel.

It all began with Premier, the company that operated the Big Red Boat until 199After years of entertaining families and creating lasting memories, the decision was made to part ways with these beloved ships. Both versions of the Big Red Boat, known as I and II, ultimately met their demise when they were sold for scrap. Yes, you read that correctly – these majestic vessels no longer grace the open seas.

The ship that once symbolized adventure, joy, and enchantment will now only live on in the memories of those lucky enough to have experienced it’s magic firsthand. The decision to sell the vessels for scrap may have been driven by economic factors or a need for more modern and efficient cruise ships, but for fans of the big red behemoths, their loss will forever remain a heart-wrenching tragedy.

The memories created during it’s heyday still bring smiles to the faces of those who were fortunate enough to embark on it’s deck. From the excitement of seeing beloved Disney characters to the thrill of cruising through tropical paradises, the Big Red Boat provided a unique experience that will never be forgotten.

The Environmental Impact of Scrapping the Big Red Boat and Other Decommissioned Ships.

• Excessive pollution caused by dismantling ships
• Release of toxic substances into the environment
• Destruction of marine ecosystems
• Loss of biodiversity
• Contamination of water bodies
• Air pollution due to burning or cutting of materials
• Noise pollution during demolition process
• Disposal of hazardous waste improperly
• Impact on local communities and livelihoods
• Health hazards for workers involved in shipbreaking
• Contributing to climate change through carbon emissions
• Waste of valuable resources if not recycled properly

Greek ferry operator Seajets has recently been revealed as the buyer of the Oceana cruise ship, which was previously owned by P&O Cruises. The 77,499-gt vessel, now renamed Queen of the Oceans, was built by Fincantieri in Italy in 2000.

Who Bought Oceana Cruise Ship?

In a surprising turn of events, it’s been revealed that Greek ferry operator Seajets is the new owner of the 77,499-gt cruiseship Oceana. Previously owned by Carnival Corps P&O Cruises, the ship has now been renamed Queen of the Oceans. This acquisition marks a significant expansion for Seajets, a Greek/Cypriot ferry company, as it ventures into the cruise ship industry.

The MV Queen of the Oceans, built in 2000 by Fincantieri in Monfalcone, Italy, has a rich history and a well-established reputation in the cruising world. With it’s 77,499 GT, it offers ample space and a range of amenities that cater to the needs and preferences of it’s passengers. This acquisition represents an opportunity for Seajets to tap into the thriving cruise market and grow it’s presence in the industry.

The sale of Oceana by P&O Cruises and it’s subsequent acquisition by Seajets has generated considerable interest and speculation within the maritime community. Industry experts and enthusiasts are eagerly observing the developments and anticipating the strategic moves that Seajets will make to establish itself as a formidable player in the cruise market. This unexpected turn of events has sparked conversations and debate, prompting a closer look at the factors influencing the decision-making process and what this means for the future of the cruise ship industry.

As companies adapt to changing market conditions and explore new opportunities, it’s clear that the landscape is ripe for innovation and growth.

Source: Oceania Cruises

During the last century, maritime disasters have remained relatively rare, with only 18 instances of publicly known cruise ship and ocean liner sinkings. In the past five decades, the occurrence has further decreased, with only four cruise ships succumbing to sinking while on their voyages. However, it’s vital to acknowledge that the cruise industry continues to invest heavily in safety protocols and advanced technology to ensure a safer and more secure cruising experience for passengers globally.

How Many Cruise Ships Are Lost at Sea?

The disappearance of the Big Red Boat Cruise remains a mystery that’s intrigued maritime enthusiasts and investigators alike. Over the past 100 years since the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, the number of cruise ships lost at sea is surprisingly low. In fact, there have been a total of 18 publicly known incidents where cruise ships or, in some cases, ocean liners have sunk.

Narrowing the scope to the past 50 years, the figures become even more astonishing. During this time, only four cruise ships have been declared lost while on their designated cruises. The rarity of such occurrences highlights the advanced safety measures and protocols implemented by the cruise industry to prevent the loss of these massive vessels.

The incident has captivated the collective curiosity due to it’s rarity and the circumstances surrounding it’s disappearance.

Some speculate that it encountered an unexpected and severe storm, which, combined with unforeseen technical or structural issues, resulted in it’s sinking. Others suggest a potential collision with an unidentified object or even foul play as possible causes.

The disappearance of a cruise ship is a sobering reminder of the immense power and unpredictability of the sea, prompting the industry to continually enhance it’s safety measures to protect both passengers and vessels alike.

Environmental Impact of Lost Cruise Ships: Considering the Environmental Consequences of a Cruise Ship Sinking and the Potential for Oil Spills or Other Pollution to Occur.

When a cruise ship goes missing or sinks, it not only poses a significant risk to human life but also has severe environmental consequences. One of the biggest concerns revolves around the potential for oil spills or other pollution to occur.

Most cruise ships have a considerable amount of fuel and lubricants on board, which can lead to a catastrophic environmental disaster if released into the water. The oil spills resulting from such incidents can cause immense harm to marine life, plants, and ecosystems.

Additionally, the wreckage and debris from a sunken cruise ship can create hazards for marine animals, obstruct shipping lanes, and damage fragile coral reefs or other marine habitats. Salvage operations may also contribute to further disturbance and destruction of the surrounding environment.

Therefore, it’s crucial to carefully assess and mitigate the environmental impact of lost cruise ships to minimize their damage and prevent long-term ecological repercussions. Efforts should focus on preventing accidents, improving safety measures, and establishing effective emergency response plans to protect both human life and the environment.

While the introduction of two new Big Red Boats in 1998 seemed promising, the company's financial troubles ultimately led to the sale of all their ships to other companies. The Oceanic, the last remaining vessel, sailed until 2012 before meeting it’s fate at the scrapyard.

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Abandoned at Sea: The Failure of Disney World’s First Private Island

By Lydia Storks 6 Comments

If you’ve ever sailed on Disney Cruise Line , there’s a high likelihood that you’ve visited Castaway Cay , Disney’s private island.

Castaway Cay

The little paradise is teeming with fun activities , from snorkeling to banana boat rides to bike rentals and more. There are multiple beaches with swimming and lounge chairs, as well as play areas for the kids and restaurants to enjoy a seaside bite. But before there was Castaway Cay , there was another island…one that FAILED.

Back before the days of Disney Cruise Line, Disney had a partnership with Premier Cruise Lines. Premier was started by two men who wanted to make the cruise industry more accessible for families, because, at that time, it was mostly a vacation for the wealthy. Premier started its journey in 1983, subsequently buying the Oceanic and refurbishing it in a “not-so-luxurious” fashion.

Disney Dream

Around that time, Disney was looking to add some variety to vacation offerings, so they partnered with Premier Cruise Lines to offer “Land and Sea” vacations at Walt Disney World . Then in 1985, Disney characters began making appearances on the Oceanic (commonly known as “The Big Red Boat”), and Disney-themed onboard activities were offered. Eventually the land and sea vacation model became so popular that they added two new ships — the Majestic and the Atlantic.

©ShipSpotting.com | The Atlantic

With this popularity, Premier Cruise Lines was in need of more hot-ticket destinations for sailing. They had stops at Freeport and Nassau, but the next step came in the form of a private island at Great Guana Cay in the Bahamas. The place was named Treasure Island , but it had some problems right from the start.

In order to create a channel for the ships to get close to the island, Disney and Premier Cruise Lines had to dredge the bay. However, the dredging was unsuccessful, because the tides just kept refilling the dredged area with silt over and over again. Therefore, Disney abandoned the island, leaving the structures behind that had been built there.

©Bright Sun Films | Treasure Island

Disney went on to build Castaway Cay in the late 1990s and the Disney Magic set sail in 1998, joined by the Disney Wonder shortly after. Premier Cruise Lines struggled after Disney pulled out, due in part to their older, smaller ships. The company went bankrupt in 2000. However, they started a trend of family cruising that has made the entire tourism industry more accessible for families to this day!

Disney Magic

And now, Disney’s in the process of constructing a SECOND private island. Lighthouse Point will also be situated in The Bahamas, located in Eleuthera, where you will able to explore the natural world around you. With this new construction, Disney is taking a special interest in conservation, creating good economic opportunities for the area, and strengthening the community.

Lighthouse Point construction began earlier this year, and the website for the island notes that it’s scheduled to be operational in the first half of 2024. We can’t wait to check it out on a Disney Cruise Line sailing in the future. The concept art has definitely piqued our interest!

We’ll continue to watch progress on Lighthouse Point, hoping that it’s a bigger success than Disney’s old Treasure Island. With more ships being constructed for Disney Cruise Line and more destinations added, there are a lot of reasons to sail these days.

Disney just launched the Disney Wish in the summer of 2022, and it has been quite popular since. The new ship has new dining options, entertainment, and activities for a variety of guests. We got to sail on the ship before its maiden voyage, so check out our coverage if you’re interested in the Disney Wish as a vacation option!

Click Here to See An Overview of EVERY Disney Cruise Line Restaurant!

What you need to know about disney cruise line, learn all about disney cruise line and its various ships, explore disney’s mega cruise ship – the wish, a full list of what you can’t bring on a disney cruise, these are the best times to book your disney cruise, the best ways to save space in your tiny cruise cabin, 10 things you need on your next cruise (that you won’t think to pack), what it’s like to live on a cruise ship for 6 months, join the dfb newsletter to get all the latest disney news delivered right to your inbox click here to subscribe.

Have you ever been on a Disney Cruise? Tell us in the comments!

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November 12, 2022 at 11:07 am

Im 59, and i was on the Big Red Boat with my fiance and remember Treasure Island very well. It wasnt luxerious, but I preferred it to the new island. There was a sort of wildness to it that was better than the overly artificial Castaway Cay. We walked an abandoned runway, stuffed ourselves on burgers, and planned to visit old Gilligan Island sets that signs said were there. Instead, I spent the entire time at a dangerous beach where i snorkeled for the first time. It was so much fun I went out so far they stationed a boat by me so I wasnt swept into a current between Islands. The water was warm and clear and although i cant swim, i deflated the swim bladder amd dived and took pictures. I still have a picture of the entire island from way out. I went back years later to finally visit the sets and to my dissapointment, it was a new island that was so artificial it was boring in every way. Sigh, thank you for the memories!

November 13, 2022 at 3:37 pm

My mom took us on the Premier Cruise Line trip with WDW in the 80’s, even before they had the Big Red Boat commercials. We did visit a private island on this trip and I believe they called it Salt Cay. There were scenes for the Gillian’s Island intro filmed there. This would have been around March 1987. We had calm seas, but the cruise after ours experienced a storm which broke some of the items in the crystal shop and the slot machines in the casino. I believe we had to take a smaller boat from Nassau to the private island. We went snorkeling and there were hammocks hung between trees to lay in. There was even an adults only beach available, but I was too young to see that part. The last time I looked the island was being used for dolphin excursions and the Oceanic was turned into the Peace Boat and eventually scrapped. It was a wonderful trip that also included Nassau.

November 13, 2022 at 5:09 pm

This article is incorrect in its start up of The Big Red Boat. Their first ship was the Royal.

November 13, 2022 at 9:41 pm

I loved the Disney cruise still talk about it. Hope to go again one day. It was my dream and it came true. I was on the DREAM and everything was perfect. The food ..entertainment…games..just everything and I love Mickey.♥️

November 14, 2022 at 5:02 pm

My wife and I were on Premiere (Big Red Boat) Atlantic in 1992 for our Honeymoon. It was my first cruise and I was hooked on cruising after that. We had a great time on that island as well as Nassau. Not to mention all the Disney charactors on the ship. We went to Disney World after the cruise. One of the best vacations we ever had.

November 18, 2022 at 6:14 pm

I think the dates in the article are a little off. My boyfriend (now hubby) and I went in 1991 or 1992 on The Big Red Boat with another couple and we stopped at a private Island for the day. We wandered off the beaten path to the other side of the island, and spent the hours jumping off the rocks into the crystal clear… and I mean CRYSTAL CLEAR water. We took lots of underwater pictures as well. It was lovely, pristine and no one there but us – probably because as young 22 yr old trouble makers, we ignored the “Do not got his way” sign LOL

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Best Disney Cruises & Cruise Ships Ranking for 2024

A s an aficionado of magical vacations, you're likely curious about the top Disney cruises and cruise ships for 2024. With Disney's renowned attention to detail and service, each ship offers its own unique charm and a myriad of enchanting experiences. Perhaps you're drawn to the Disney Dream 's immersive world or the Broadway-style shows on the Disney Fantasy . Maybe the unique onboard features of the Disney Magic attract you, or the adventures offered on the Disney Wonder . There's also the highly anticipated Disney Wish on the horizon. So, which one will make it to your travel bucket list? Let's find out.

Disney Dream Cruise Review

Stepping aboard the Disney Dream Cruise , you're immediately immersed in a magical world that promises an unforgettable voyage for both kids and adults. As one of the best Disney Cruise Line ships, it boasts sumptuous dining options, spectacular live shows, and round-the-clock room service.

Docking at Port Canaveral , you'll love Disney's Oceaneer Club . Trust the Disney Cruise reviews, your Disney Cruise Line vacation starts here.

Exploring the Disney Fantasy

Moving on from the enchanting Disney Dream, let's set sail and explore the wonders of the Disney Fantasy . Often hailed as the best Disney ship, this gem in the Disney Cruise Line fleet boasts Disney characters , Broadway-style shows, and sumptuous main dining rooms .

Despite the new Disney Wish stealing some limelight as Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, the Disney Fantasy remains a standout in the Disney Cruise Line experience.

Disney Magic Ship Highlights

Let's explore the highlights of Disney Magic, a 2,713-passenger ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet.

Packed with unique attractions like Broadway-style musical performances , flat-screen TVs, and a table-service restaurant , it's all about the magic of Disney.

And, don't forget Caribbean cruises with excellent service.

Use the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app for an even better experience.

Unveiling Disney Wonder

Next on our list is Disney Wonder, one of the new ships in the Disney fleet and a sister to the newest Disney cruise ship.

You'll love the friendly cast and crew members, the rotational dining options , and the Walt Disney Theater .

With Disney Wonder, it's all about the exciting port adventures .

Get ready for a journey you won't forget aboard this amazing Disney ship.

Disney Wish: What to Expect

On the horizon of your next dream vacation, Disney Wish stands proud, promising an unparalleled cruise experience. As one of Disney's new vessels, its maiden voyage will take you through grand hall, hyperspace lounge, and the worlds of marvel.

You'll experience the frozen dining adventure, explore Disney's oceaneer club, revel in adult spaces, and relish themed dining . Disney Wish truly is an enchanting journey waiting for you.

Dining Options on Disney Cruises

After exploring the enchanting features of Disney Wish, you might be wondering about the culinary adventures that await on Disney Cruises .

From Rapunzel's Royal Table to the Royal Palace, Animator's Palate, and even dining options on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay , the best Disney cruises cater to every personal preference.

Disney's Oceaneer Club serves up enchanted classics, ensuring a magical dining experience for all.

Entertainment on Disney Ships

You'll find a world of entertainment on Disney ships. Live music fills the air, while Disney films light up screens on the pool deck.

Join the fun at the Golden Mickeys , or meet Captain America at the kids clubs. Dine amidst Toy Story sketches at Animator's Palate , or explore Disney's Oceaneer Club .

There's never a dull moment aboard, ensuring your cruise is a magical adventure.

Family-friendly Features

With family-friendly features in abundance, Disney cruise ships offer an array of amenities and activities designed to delight every member of your family. Picture setting off on a Disney adventure with young children mesmerized by Disney's Oceaneer Club .

You'll find hot tubs, Animator's Palate , Small World, and movie theaters reminiscent of Walt Disney World.

Luxurious Staterooms Breakdown

Beyond the plethora of activities and amenities for the kids, Disney's cruise ships also boast some of the most luxurious staterooms in the industry.

As a first time cruiser, you'll be blown away by the ocean view from both the classic and additional ships.

Whether dining at Rapunzel's Royal Table or Animator's Palate, the royal Caribbean feel extends beyond Disney's private island and into these sumptuous quarters.

Disney Cruise Line Ports of Call

Disney Cruise Line's ports of call offer a world of enchantment, transporting you to some of the most coveted destinations in the globe.

You'll visit various locations, including Disney's private island, Lighthouse Point , and Fort Lauderdale.

Shore excursions might include a Star Wars experience, dining at Rapunzel's Royal Table and Animator's Palate , or kid's fun at Disney's Oceaneer Club.

Specialty Cruises: Halloween and Christmas

If you're looking to add a festive touch to your voyage, consider Disney's specialty cruises : Halloween and Christmas.

Envision sailing the high seas, celebrating the holidays at Rapunzel's Royal Table or reliving a Cinderella story at the Animator's Palate .

U.S. News insider tip: Disney's private island is a treasure trove of holiday fun in the coming years, especially for kids at Disney's Oceaneer Club.

Unique Disney Cruise Activities

You'll find a plethora of unique activities on a Disney cruise that you won't experience anywhere else. From dining at Rapunzel's Royal Table to virtual sports simulators, your voyage will be packed with fun.

You can join Ariel at the Animator's Palate or play at the Oceaneer Club. Despite sailing away from San Diego, you'll feel secure with Disney's excellent health ratings.

Just wait until you see Disney's private island !

Castaway Cay: Disney's Private Island

Picture stepping off your cruise ship and onto the pristine sands of Castaway Cay, Disney's very own private island. Here's what awaits you:

• Serene beaches perfect for sandcastle building.
• Adventures at Pelican Point, snorkeling amidst hidden Disney treasures.
• Mouthwatering BBQ at Cookie's BBQ.

Isn't it time you felt the magic of Disney sprinkled on a tropical getaway?

Comparing Disney Cruise Ships

Exploring Disney's impressive fleet of cruise ships can be quite a challenging task. Each ship offers a unique blend of magical experiences . But don't fret! Whether you're a fan of the classic Disney Magic or the newer Disney Dream, each ship has its own flair.

You've got to take into account size, amenities, and character-themed experiences . So, buckle up, it's time to delve into the world of Disney cruises!

Booking Tips for 2024 Cruises

Explore the world of planning as we share some invaluable tips for booking your dream Disney cruise in 2024.

Here's how you can snag a great deal:

• Book early: The early bird catches the worm, or in this case, the best staterooms!
• Look for off-peak dates: You'll find lower prices during these times.
• Use a travel agent: They can help you navigate the best deals and discounts.

So, ready to set sail on a magical journey? Whether it's the Disney Dream , Fantasy, Magic, Wonder, or the new Wish, each ship is a treasure trove of fun. Remember to pack your sense of adventure, appetite, and your Mickey ears!

Castaway Cay awaits with its pristine beaches. Booking a 2024 cruise ? Pro tip: start early. After all, you wouldn't want to miss the boat, would you?

Happy cruising!

The post Best Disney Cruises & Cruise Ships Ranking for 2024 appeared first on Sarah Scoop EATS .

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Meal Pricing

A taste of mexico.

Interested in a fresh and delicious meal or snack, teeming with Mexican heritage flavors? Even when you’re on the go, there’s time to savor an authentic dining experience at Tiendita—brought to you by Chef Carlos Gaytán.

Choose from a range of simple, expertly prepared menu items that harken back to Chef Gaytán’s homeland, including:

• Street Corn—a timeless classic made with kernels of corn cooked in broth, then seasoned and garnished with ingredients like lime, chili powder, mayonnaise and cheese
• Tacos Al Pastor—a sweet and savory masterpiece made from pork marinated in a rich blend of chilies and Mexican spices, stacked onto a spit, caramelized by dripping pineapple juices and roasted to perfection
• Choco Taco—Chef Gaytán’s take on the classic dessert, filled with salted caramel banana ice cream and topped with crisp chocolate

Tiendita’s cuisine is prepared in a bright, glassy space. Enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the expert culinary team at work—which adds an interactive layer to your dining experience.

Know Before You Go

Subject to Change

Menu items, pricing, hours and any applicable entertainment offerings are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

• Parking Parking validation may be available at this location. Learn More .
• Children Children must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older for the duration of the dining experience.

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Napolini pizzeria, earl of sandwich, times for tiendita.

Princess Cruises is taking a page out of the ultra-luxury cruise industry with new all-inclusive, $3,000 cabins

• Princess Cruises says its new Sun Princess and upcoming Star Princess will have all-inclusive cabins.
• Guests who've booked the new Sanctuary Collection category would get an inclusive package and private lounge.
• It's a move that could appeal to ultra-luxury cruisers .

If you want to go on an all-inclusive vacation at sea, you no longer need to book an ultra-luxury, ultra-expensive cruise line .

Just sail on Princess Cruises' new ship instead.

In October, Princess says its two-month-old Sun Princess will debut in the US with the company's first-ever Sanctuary Collection, an adult-only lounge exclusive to guests who've booked one of the collection's high-end cabins. These luxurious accommodations comprise 10% of the ship's 2,157 staterooms, including all its suites.

But the Sanctuary's biggest perk arguably isn't the lounge's private pool and restaurant — it's the all-inclusiveness , a rarity among mass-market cruise lines.

It's the Carnival Corp. brand's latest appeal to ultra-luxury cruisers

Mass-market cruise lines like Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian typically follow the " budget airline " strategy: charge a cheap base fare and offer plenty of irresistible up-charged amenities (like specialty restaurants, as is the case of Sun Princess).

It's a stark contrast to the high-end cruise industry, where all-inclusivity is often considered the standard.

For example, luxury cruise line Explora Journey's fare includes alcoholic beverages, WiFi, and access to the spa — amenities that would typically cost extra on ships like Sun Princess. On Regent Seven Seas , all this, plus excursions, pre-cruise hotels, and roundtrip flights are also included in the cost to sail.

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Over the last few years, Princess has begun following in these high-end cruise lines' foosteps.

In 2022, it launched Princess Premier, an optional inclusive package covering amenities like WiFi, drinks, some upcharged restaurants, and workout classes. It's the same package Sanctuary Collection guests would get, along with the private restaurant and adult-only lounge with cabanas, a pool, and private events.

The exclusive lounge concept is nothing new. Royal Caribbean's two largest cruise liners have a "neighborhood" exclusive to suite guests. The same applies to Norwegian, Celebrity, and MSC Cruises' vessels.

However, while these competing retreats offer perks like drink packages, WiFi, or private restaurants, none are as "inclusive" as Princess'.

In 2024, Sun Princess' Sanctuary cabins start at more than $3,000 per person for a weeklong Caribbean cruise in mid-December. To compare, the cheapest interior cabin for the same itinerary starts shy of $700 per person.

The cruise line says its next ship, Star Princess, which will debut in late September 2025, will also carry the Sanctuary Collection.

Following in the footsteps of high-end, all-inclusive cruise lines could be a wise decision for Princess. These luxury vacations at sea have become increasingly popular as travelers continue to spend big on their trips.

Like Princess, expedition cruise company HX recently shifted to an all-inclusive model as well.

Back on dry land, hotel giants like Hyatt and Marriott have also seen a boom in these "everything free" resorts .

Apparently, every vacationer — whether on water or solid ground — just wants one thing: stress-free poolside lounging with bottomless drinks.

Watch: Inside the world's biggest cruise ship that just set sail

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The Disney Cruise Line Blog

An unofficial disney cruise line news, information, weather, and photo blog..

The Vault: Premier Cruise Lines’s 1991 Cruise and Walt Disney World Week Advertisement

In this installment of  The Vault , we are going to take a voyage back to 1991 with a look at the early days of land and sea vacations via Disney’s partnership with Premier Cruise Lines. The marketing campaign continued to highlight Premier Cruise Lines as The Official Cruise Line of Walt Disney World .

The ultimate family vacation. From just $715.

Premier Cruise Lines, the Official Cruise Line Of Walt Disney World, presents the family vacation of your dreams. Premier’s Cruise and Disney Week aboard The Big Red Boat is the Bahamas, the Sea, and Walt Disney World, in seven wonderful days that last a lifetime. And as a Magic Kingdom Club member, you can save 10% on your rate — a full seven days of magic for as little as $715 per person, including airfare. Set sail on one of two Bahamas itineraries: Nassau and uninhabited Salt Cay, or Premier’s exclusive port-of-call, the magical Abacos Out Islands . On board, The Big Red Boat welcomes kids with an award-winning program of children’s and family activities. Kids get their own menus, their own recreation centers, their own toddler pools, their own Teen Nite Club. And it’s the only cruise where kids meet playmates like Mickey or Minnie, or other world famous Disney characters aboard every sailing! Professionally trained youth counselors interact with and entertain kids of all ages, all day long, so you can capture a few quiet moments alone or enjoy all the excitement of our glittering lounges and casinos. Fill out the week with your choice ofa 3- or 4-night Walt Disney World vacation. You’ll receive free accommodations at an Orlando-area hotel, or even one of the Vacation Kingdom resorts, free Disney admissions and tours of Spaceport USA for everyone in your family, a free 7-day rental car and round-trip coach airfare. Only when you sail on The Big Red Boat. For reservations or further information, please contact: MAGIC KINGDOM CLUB TRAVEL CENTER, P.O. Box 10160, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, or call toll free: 1-800-334-4017. For a free brochure call 1-800-888-6759. 1991 Big Red Boat Ad Copy – Disney News Magazine Fall 1991

The ad was featured in the Disney News magazine’s Fall 1991 edition. Below is a look at page 39 of the magazine which was the back side of the ad which I found matted at a farmers market booth a few years ago and it looks like I paid $12 to acquire.

I am constantly on the look out for fun and unique items like this share in future installments of  The Vault , if you have anything unique to share drop me an email.

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One Reply to “The Vault: Premier Cruise Lines’s 1991 Cruise and Walt Disney World Week Advertisement”

Sailed aboard the Oceanic in 1992 on our Honeymoon. It was a wonderful experience. Great ship, great food, great time. A wonderful way to begin our married life. Alas, Premier Cruise Line is gone, but happy to report that we are still together. Looking forward to resuming our Disney Cruise Line adventures when we get the “all aboard”.

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